In Blood and War
by Princess Romeo
Summary: Fate/ Apocrypha AU. Same OC, different circumstances, and a Berserker Cú. Meh, we'll see where this goes.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Clock Tower, 1994

She ran, knowing her master would find her. Hazel had always been a trickster, but this act of heroism would surely have consequences.

She turned to the nearest stairway, a hidden passage within the old stone coffin called Clock Tower. Hazel kept her pace, briskly treading down the steps but in her focused state her senses had isolated only to sight. Though she could see the path clearly, another mage followed close behind her.

" _Scalp."_ she heard it but before she could turn, the silver colored spike impaled her left shoulder against the wall. The mercury nipped as the spike swirled in the wound, leaving her frozen to face the assailant. She knew she would get a lecture, but clearly he was angry enough to follow her into a back stairway.

The more she moved the more the mercury stung her inner muscles. She just had to wait and watch as her master glided down the steps with ease. Though composed, he knew his apprentice had deceived him which made this annoying.

"Where is it Hazel?" he asked coldly, facing her directly with his hands crossed behind his back.

"I have no idea, professor." she lied, and the spike drove in deeper.

"You picked up my mail." he asked politely, "The package from your father, where is it hidden?"

Hazel knew what this was, why he wanted it desperately. It was for a war from what her father said, one that would summon heroes, the reason her grandfather and him entered the artifacts trade. But she heard who Kayneth had intended to summon, and knowing the legend the pair together wouldn't work. Two powerful beings could never work together in her mind. She knew it could be a mistake, but Waver was her only friend at Clock Tower, and he needed someone else to tell him he wasn't worthless.

"I lost it." she said, the spike expanded again and Hazel resisted the pain, biting her lip to a point that she broke the skin. She could taste the blood in her mouth with a faint flavor of mercury. The chemical was creeping into her system. It burned, but she had a spell to manage it once the wound was free of the make shift weapon.

"Where?" Kayneth prolonged the spell. She had been trained from an early age to hold back her screams. Kayneth knew this and often abused it.

"Do you always humiliate your student's work?" Hazel said and Kayneth realized her actions. The spike of mercury lifted her body into the air, pulling it up like a taught nos. She looked at her master, he was intense. This was the side she feared, the wrath of his blue eyes froze her.

"For a mage with your linage, you'd soil it with a worthless boy!" He yelled, throwing her down the steps. She rested on the landing, as her body began to heal the hole in her shoulder. Her master smiled, knowing now that she had given a powerful catalyst to an arrogant boy.

"Well, I'll make sure he doesn't survive this war. Then you will know your mistake."

" _Eir Bien_." She uttered her healing spell from inside her body. It worked fast, erasing the mercury from her system. After a moment, she spit out part of the shield, only the size of a pea. It absorbed back into the ball that followed her master. This wasn't the first time she disobeyed Kayneth. They were polar opposites, but her father insisted she could master shield work from him. Often, Hazel would demand his time which annoyed him, but it was the only way for her to get experience.

"Ever thought I wanted him to learn something too?" she stated, "Why would Clock Tower accept mages unless they saw potential in them to grow?"

Kayneth chuckled. "Because they must weed out the best." he paused, for once he wanted to teach her something. "You could be an excellent mage but you waste your time fighting, trying to be a hero to others." he said it with a small sincerity. Her father was his close friend, or competition when he was a student though they pursued different paths. When she was accepted at a young age, 16, Kayneth agreed to instruct her, knowing that her knowledge was already impressive. But she wanted to fight, become a combat mage in the field.

"Maybe. But as long as I have this body, I will use it in combat to save who I can."

"A shield for those you care about." He understood now, why she protected the speck of a mage. Once she had deemed someone worthy of protection, Hazel didn't care about the pain, it only mattered that they were saved. He smirked at the foolish sentiment, but felt she could heed his lesson.

"You can only rely on yourself, Ms. Matterhorn. When I return you will no longer be my apprentice. I refuse to teach such a reckless child." He started walking the other direction down the steps. "You Matterhorn's have always been tricksters, never settling for one practice or side. You'll just end up like your Irish counterpart, disowned from the community like Yggdmillennia." Hazel extended a yellow diamond shaped shield from her arm. The sharp point stuck out next to Kayneth's shoulder, inches from the veins in his neck. Her best friend from childhood was not to be mentioned in such a way.

"She has a name," Hazel said, cold with her tone. "And as a Matterhorn I side with what I believe. Help people who need it, protect the few I love, and live." This was a phrase from her late grandfather, he always wanted to be clear that though he may not have a side, he had to fight for what he believed in. Kayneth smirked. In time, he knew his apprentice would see the world only takes things away. How love is a weakness. But seeing her innocence now would only make her corruption more enjoyable.

"What a foolish phrase," Kayneth said as he began to step away. "That will cause your downfall."


	2. Summoning

Summoning

Ten years had passed, and she had achieved her goal. Being known as a top combat mage and new self-defense instructor at Clock Tower. However, she wished that could be a dream compared to the reality she faced now. In this moment, all she wanted was to hear the voice of the man who would tell her she was elected to fight.

The night was cold but clear. A breeze whipped through the trees but there was a stillness in the country side. Inside an old bunker, Hazel was trapped by her impatience, twisting a single silver earring in her left lobe.

Her cell phone rang and she grabbed it promptly, knowing who it was.

"Master Belfeban." she answered.

"Hazel, you don't have to call me that." he responded. The title did not belong to him anymore now that she had her own reputation, but she still felt the need to be cordial.

"Any word on the selection process?"

"Yes." he said, solemnly. "The Mages Association decided you should not participate in the war."

She leaned against the inner wall of the bunker, crossing her arm in an effort to conceal her anger.

"No." she said, digging her fingers into her skin.

"Hazel, your father's involvement makes it a risk..."

"But the command seals appeared, that has to mean something!" She didn't understand how this could've happened. She was chosen organically, the Mages Association had no reason to reject her.

"I'm sorry." he said. Hazel began to think of another scenario. If she would not fight for the Red, there was only one option.

"So I have to fight with them?" she said.

"Yes, but I'm sure you know your mission." Hazel shook her head, she did not need a name, her target was clear.

"Of course." she responded, "I'll arrange plans tomorrow."

"Try to sleep." Belfeban concluded before hanging up the phone. She set it down pressing her palms against the cold metal walls of the bunker. This was reality now, she would have to fight for the opposing side, led by the man she hated.

She pulled her arm back and drove her fist into the metal, but no amount of pain could equal how she felt. What she had prepared for in these last few months, researching Yggdmillennia and fighting clay dummies, just to be told her enemy would be her ally. In the last few days her world had been corrupted by this Great Holy Grail War, and she wanted nothing more than to get back at those involved.

"Damn them!" she shouted with tears dripping down her face. But crying now wouldn't help. She had the seals, which meant there was nothing holding her back from summoning her servant.

"I'll make them suffer. Those bastards." She left, grabbing a dagger from a drawer. One her father had given her long before his betrayal. Once outside, she cut her hand and began to trace the circle, using the dagger in the ground under the moonlight, watching the blood drip down into the soil. She knew the circle's pattern and the variations of the spell her grandfather taught her before his passing. At this point it didn't matter what class, she just wanted them to be strong, strong enough to take down the man and servant who slew her comrades.

After tracing the circle in the ground, she ripped the earring from her ear lobe, tearing the flesh. She set it across the circle, parallel to her. It was a gift from her friend, and the only catalyst she had after forfeiting the rest to the Mages Association. This was the least she could do for her.

"Heed my call." she began. "My will guides your actions and my strength shapes your body. In this time, fight until we alone remain, through the blood of the fallen, come forth and be merciless, make them fear you, hero of war!"

In moments the circle began to glow bright white through the dark forest. She held her position firm and could tell from the pull that they were latching on. They were strong, her feet began to sink into the ground. She held still. This was her only chance now to redeem what she had lost. The only way to create endurance was through pain. She didn't care what they needed to do to materialize, they just needed to be positioned in this world. Find the path to her.

The lights resided with only smoke billowing from the circle, and a dark figure standing inside.

He looked like a druid of dark magic. His chest was exposed with red Runes tattooed over his face and body. Three colleens in a circular pattern stood out the most. His only clothes consisted of long black gloves, pants, and a hooded long cape that blended into his figure. His armor clung tight to his body which was hard on the outside like a black shell. It even stretched out to create a long tail that followed behind him, with other skeletal shapes wrapped around him. His barrier of skin resembled his weapon, and she felt there had to be a connection with both of their skeletal forms.

Even with his fang like teeth and red eyes, Hazel was not afraid of him. With the conversations Bazett and she had as children, in life he was a virtuous hero, so she wouldn't treat him like he was stupid, even if he had been stripped of his sanity. If anything, Hazel knew that would only piss him off. Being friendly was the best approach, and it was normally how she greeted people.

Hazel walked over to him and held out her hand with the seals. He was growling as though he wanted to refuse she was his master. She held out her hand, thinking he would be like an animal she wanted to be cautious first. He grabbed her hand forcefully looking at the seals. He slowly adjusted to her scent, sniffing her wrist and understood. Looking up at her, he knew this was someone he could trust.

What first struck him was her eyes, a golden color but confused, some point between rage and sadness. Hazel was not terrified by him which shocked her servant. She smiled, as not to frighten him, only grateful that she could rewrite a wrong she could not control.

"Thank you, Berserker." Hazel said, pressing her hand against his chest. He put his hand through her long black hair, the wavy texture of it was familiar. Like a woman he trusted long ago.

They stared at each other knowing this was the start of their partnership. At this point, all that mattered was a chance to avenge those she had protected. That she would not hold back as her authority had told her to do. This was her mission alone, to see that the Holy Grail would no longer exist.


	3. Chapter 1: A Broken Family

**Chapter 1: A Broken Family**

The sun rise was beginning to pierce the horizon as the train arrived in London. Hazel had managed to keep Berserker at the bunker with the promise she would return by nightfall. She gave him one order, which was not to kill any people. He seemed to at least understand her direction, but this separation would show she trusted him, and that she would keep to her word throughout their partnership.

There were only two places which she had to go before heading back to the bunker being the hospital and Clock Tower. She thought about visiting her father before leaving but felt now that word had spread about her fighting for the Black Faction, and it would only damage her image more. She already took inventory of the home after her father admitted to his dealings with Yggdmillennia. Three artifacts, one of the arrowheads stained with blood, a set of knives, and a wooden spike were given to Darnic. Her father had a reputation for being good at his job when he wanted to be. Often he would steal and place blood seals on pieces so that they would only be successful once he received full payment. As a child he taught her to use blood magic, but in time she understood why many mages disliked his business.

She was shocked by one thing after knowing which catalysts were taken, which was that he kept what her grandfather considered to be his most valuable piece. Hazel had no choice but to forfeit it over to the Mages Association along with other relics in the home. She thought that would be enough to keep mages away from her family, but greedy people lack morals, and will do what they must to get what they want.

Hazel picked two lily from that garden outside the hospital before she walked in, hoping she would be able to talk to them. That they would be awake.

She first went to the Intensive Care Unit to visit her mother. She was still intubated, with multiple IV's inserted into her arms, and tubes going in and out of her body. Hazel looked through the window and though the nurse said she could go in she declined. Her mother was now in a state that would ruin her chances of continuing her practice. She was a wonderful healer, smart and kind, but now no one who was a magus would see her past, only that she was weak now. Hazel turned her back, leaving one of the lilies on the window sill.

The steps echoed as she went down the stairs toward the third floor. She realized that wearing a cardigan over a long maxi dress wasn't the best decision, but it was the first thing she grabbed from her drawer. She was accustomed to jeans, t shirts, and blazer; however she did not plan on fighting today, only tying up loose ends.

Hazel knew her sister Rikki was responsive and awake since they moved her to another unit, but that didn't mean she was fine mentally. Three days ago her sister found their mother unconscious on a bedroom floor. She pulled her out and called the emergency response before passing out as well. Hazel was teaching at the time but once she got to the hospital all she could do was wait for one of them to wake up.

Though Hazel was the heir, her sister had developed fine circuits. Rikki's only desire was to help injured mages and find ways to use potions and supplements to fuel mana. In time, Hazel saw her becoming a professor, but she was still quite young in her mindset.

She walked into her room, the window open with a breeze blowing through. Her sister was awake and looked out at the buildings outside. She was always a quiet observer, opposite from Hazel. Her straight black hair she would often keep tied in a ponytail. There were other flowers by her bed side with a card, along with empty pudding cups.

"Hey Rikki." Hazel said, breaking her sister's focus.

"Hazel, I thought you left?" Rikki asked. She was aware of the war but thought her sister would not hesitate to leave for a mission as she had done in the past.

Hazel sat on her bed. "Had to make arrangements." she said, handing Rikki the lily. "This is for you."

Her sister smiled. "Thank you." Though she was happy for the visit, Hazel bringing her a flower meant she would be gone for a while. When Hazel used to leave on mission for the Mages Association, Rikki felt that if she kept the flower alive that meant her sister was okay, and so far the philosophy worked. But she missed her older sister often when she travelled. Rikki knew she herself wasn't meant to fight, but still felt like Hazel was sometimes a stranger.

She paused. "Have you heard anything about the war?"

"I'm a master." Hazel said, and Rikki looked at her flower slightly disappointed.

"The Red Faction is lucky to have you." she said, twilling the stem of the lily.

"Actually," Hazel began, "They already selected the mages for the Red, so by default I'm a Master of Black." Her sister immediately lit up with bright eyes.

"That's great! Fiore will be thrilled."

"She's a master?" Hazel said, surprised to hear her student's name.

"Yes." Rikki said, elated. Fiore always admired how Hazel taught and would be glad to fight with her instead of against. Hazel was aware that her sister was a close friend of hers, however she was still angry about the rest of the team she would need to cooperate with. Rikki could tell Hazel was not pleased.

"You seem upset, sister."

"I don't know what to think, Rikki." Hazel said, "Everything I've worked for doesn't matter."

"It's an honor to be chosen, no matter what side." Rikki said, "Grandpa always told us that those who follow one side all their life die with no morals." When committing to a side one often was forced to be obedient and kill on command. Their grandfather was wise in saying it was best to live on your own morals instead of ones created by higher powers. For this reason her family was seen as tricksters, often hovering the line between the Mages Association and Yggdmillennia. Hazel had to remember that though she fought with them, she had to adhere to her beliefs in this war.

"Who are these flowers from?" she said, changing the subject. She looked at the card attached to the bouquet of blush flowers. "Oh, it's Caules."

"Hazel, don't read that!" Rikki yelled grabbing the card. She knew her sister had a crush on Fiore's brother since they were kids. Even if he was a few years younger, she always thought he was quite caring and smart. Her face became a bright pink with embarrassment as she read the card. Hazel grabbed one of the blush roses from the bouquet, putting it close to Rikki's cheek.

"Ah, the shade matches." she said and her sister pouted. She hated being made fun of but Hazel was glad to see her sister still had her innocent views on life. At that moment, she thought it would be best to leave while the tone was light.

"I'll be back before that flower dies." Hazel said, standing up from the bed. Rikki knew her sister was not as stable as she was pretending, and she wanted to use this time wisely. To tell her she would succeed.

"Hazel." Rikki said and her sister stopped by the doorway. "You're the strongest mage I know, that's why grandfather engraved his life's work into you."

Hazel paused. She wanted to leave here with a smile, but it wasn't going to happen. She was strong because of what her grandfather did to her magic circuits, and her father's knowledge in blood magic. Because they focused their efforts on her, Rikki was left behind to learn magecraft on her own. However, Hazel knew she was strong in other ways that her mother was able to nurture. She turned around and sat down on the bed once more.

"Rikki, do you remember anything strange in the house that day?" she asked.

"Just the fog." Rikki said, curling up into a ball. "Mother was on the ground in her bedroom. The door was open almost like she let them in. It looked like she was reaching for something or someone. There was an ornamented box in the corner."

"Anything else?"

"Just that she was frozen with a smile on her face. I thought she was dead and I pulled her out of it but I couldn't heal her I couldn't-"

"Slow down." Hazel wanted to calm her down, but she kept tugging the sleeves of her hospital gown, almost ripping the fabric.

"-Her magic circuits are damaged." Rikki said as she began to cry. "It's all my fault. If I had just skipped class I could have known…"

"Rikki, don't say that." Hazel latched onto her sister who now had two rivers going down her face. She stayed there for a moment as she cried. For Rikki, just having her sister present was all she wanted. She enjoyed seeing her at Clock Tower when she studied. But, felt she was never as strong as her. Hazel knew her sister doubted herself, but she would make progress in her own way. She just needed to keep her optimism until the war subsided.

"I don't know why someone would hurt us? There was nothing left to take in the house."

"Just hold on a little longer. I'll find out who did this." Hazel said, on the verge of anger. Rikki held her closer, knowing that Hazel only wanted to kill them. But her sister was a warrior with heart, not a mindless beast. She only wanted to see her go back to her old self once this war was over.

"I love you Hazel." Rikki whimpered through her tears. "Please, don't lose yourself in this. You've always been the strongest, that's why grandfather gave you that shield." She let go. Those words did not fit her. This was the weakest Hazel had felt, even with her grandfather's work she could only protect herself. Now she needed to wrap up her business in London as quickly as possible. She was not in the mindset to spend more than a day here. She needed to leave and fight.

"Get some rest." Hazel ordered, leaving the room. Her sister laid down in her bed, holding tightly onto the lily she gave her in case it was the last.


	4. Chapter 2: Clock Tower Shuffle

**Chapter 2: Clock Tower Shuffle**

As she walked the halls of Clock Tower they seemed emptier than ever before. Hazel was known for being quite friendly but today she had a goal set.

On her walk over to work, she talked to multiple places to get a train to Romania. One thing she realized was that the war was not happening in England, and she had to ensure comfort for her servant and herself. Her biggest fear was flying on airplanes, and Berserker would probably destroy the plane before it left the ground. She was able to rent out a car on each train and order her transfer tickets before she even entered the building. It was expensive, but she had been saving money in her travel fund since she returned to London which made it affordable.

Hazel walked into the Combat Arts department which was rather quiet. She came to her office to find a surprising sight. Though it was the size of a broom closet, all of her books and research materials had vanished. What remained were the wooden shelfs, desk, and chair. She sat down and found a letter in the top drawer where she kept her paper.

She glanced over it carefully:

 _Ms. Matterhorn (Golden Fox),_

 _Because of your involvement with the opposing side, the Mages Association has decided to confiscate any materials you may have shared with Yggdmillennia. They will be given back upon your return, if you survive._

 _Sincerely, B.S.R_

She wasn't surprised by the author. Bram was someone she despised because of his entitled attitude. He was the new head of the Evocation Department at Clock Tower but felt that gave him every right to demean her. Because of what happened to his sister and Kayneth, Bram believed it was Hazel's fault for giving the catalyst to Waver. Though her friend had made amends with the El Melloi's, Hazel was still seen as the root of the problem.

Without any references, Hazel began to recall what she could from memory and put it on paper. Though it wasn't the best choice, she had asked Lord El-Melloi II to cover her classes since the entire Department of Combat Arts felt her beginner courses were not worth their time. She spent one hour writing her plan, anything he could talk about easily. History of combat seemed fitting since his comfort zone was research and dwelling on the past, so she mainly scribbled notes relating to the topic.

Hazel finished writing and put the plans into her messenger bag. She would miss her students but knew they were tough. If they weren't, they would find out the hard way about leaving their guard open. After what her sister told her, Hazel was unsure how Fiore would take the battlefield. She knew Fiore was strong but was not found of killing. As her instructor, Hazel was able to show her how to deal with death, but Fiore still was scared about taking a life. Hazel only hoped she had a servant who could teach her what she could not.

As her shoes clapped against the marble floor a familiar scent caught her attention. Leather and blood were the first to stand out and she followed the odor. As she continued to walk she found herself in the Summoning Department. Now that she was close, the smell of cigarette smoke billowed from Professor Belfeban's office. She knew there was only one person it could be, and she decided to wait for him.

She leaned on the wall, the light of the windows creating shadows through the pillars. It wasn't even noon yet and she had time to spare before bugging her colleague. She was curious too, knowing that if she wasn't a Master of Red, that there was one more spot open. She wanted to see the competition. This was her last day amongst the elites at Clock Tower before she would officially be known as a traitor, so she had to gather as much information as possible.

The door opened and the man exited. A necromancer she had worked with in the past on some of her missions. She stood still as he walked passed, cigarette in hand, and stopped.

"You can't fight in a dress." he said.

"I wanted to get caught." Hazel answered and set up a shield. It was invisible to the eye but would create a sound barrier so no one could hear their conversation. "Why are you here, Kairi?"

"Business."

She chuckled, casually revealing her command seals.

"This kind?" she asked, and they began to walk as the shield followed them. "What did the old man say about me?" she questioned, beginning to walk backwards so she could face him. Though his eyes were hidden behind his shades, she could tell he was annoyed.

"That you are fighting with the Black Faction with the intent to assassinate Darnic." he paused, "I told him it's dumb. I'll be surprised if you last one day with Yggdmillennia."

"Once I kill him, I plan to act on my own." Hazel said.

"Why not start that way?" Kairi questioned.

"You must build trust with your enemy before you strike." she said, cold. Kairi had known her from past missions when she was just starting out. Clearly by how she carried herself, she'd just become another pawn to the Mages Association when before she had a will of her own.

"Are you calling me weak, Fox?" he questioned, it was rare for him to use her real name. Hazel shook her head.

"No," she said, "But, you did try to blow me up on the count of one."

"Still not over that undead apostle bar?"

"I'll tell that story on your deathbed." she said and they both laughed. Hazel had a feeling Belfeban asked for them to work together. However, though she was able to handle Kairi's personality on a mission this was a different scale. There was more at stake than some cash, the grail could change a life. It didn't matter his wish, she only hoped they could fight each other in the end.

"Hey," she began, "Just cuz we worked together doesn't mean we're allies. I think we both have our own goals in this war. I'll try to stay out of your way, but if we do cross paths I won't hold back."

He let out a laugh, one that could roar through the halls if he wasn't in a barrier. He was grateful that behind the formal attire was the mage he called Golden Fox.

"Glad this place hasn't stripped you of common sense." he said, creating a pattern with his cigarette to break the barrier. "See you on the battlefield, Fox." He continued to walk as Hazel remained.

"Will do, Leatherhead." she said, heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

She waited patiently outside of his office, she knew her colleague was punctual. After a few moments the door opened on its own, with his young apprentice being thrown out.

"But Professor El-Melloi II I have a question about my project for next class."

"We can talk tomorrow." he said, sternly.

"Then it will be morning. I don't think properly until noon. Can't we talk now?" Flat asked, impatient as always.

"Flat, we have a meeting." Hazel asserted, and they both glanced not realizing she was there. However, Flat assumed what her presence meant based on her attire.

"Oh," Flat said, turning to Lord El Melloi II, "Master, why didn't you say anything?"

"I did. Several times."

"But not with her." Flat said, "I will always give you time with Ms. Matterhorn. You need to expand your dating life beyond video games."

Lord El-Melloi II sighed. "My personal life is none of your concern, Flat." His apprentice turned and smiled. It brought him joy to see his professor happy.

"I'll go now, I know love needs time to bloom." Flat said, and continued running away down the hall. Though Lord El Melloi II was annoyed, Hazel smirked. He was never a student of hers, but she enjoyed Flat's optimism. He was insistent to be the first to know if his professor and she would start officially dating. Rumors spread around the building about their relations with each other, but truthfully they were only best friends.

"Le Deux?" she asked. It was a nickname she devised when he first received his title. It just meant "the two" in French, but he would become frustrated when others forgot the end of his title. She thought when she said that it was a way to rewrite the wrong.

"Come in." he said, but it was no longer safe here.

"He'll just listen in like always." Hazel insisted. Even if Flat didn't spy on them, being alone in another professor's offices would raise suspicion. Possibly put Waver at risk for questioning. It was best for them to spend time together in public, away from other mages.

"All right, how does coffee sound?" he asked and Hazel nodded. She waited as he grabbed his coat and they walked out of the building, ensuring no one followed.

The sun was shining clearly through the translucent clouds. It was mid-day at the coffee shop which meant they beat the rush and were alone on the patio. Hazel had stopped briefly at a thrift store to find an outfit for her servant. She assumed no matter the clothes they would get destroyed, but he hopefully wouldn't need them for long.

They sat silent for a while. She gave Waver the notes for teaching her class, and he gave her a children's mythology book. Though the cover had faded the pages were still crisp except for the first. Waver had slipped in a list of the Masters of Red and Black within the cover. He was someone who thought ahead and knew it was better for her to read than ask.

Most names were familiar to her, but it was clear that she was one of the few with combat experience. She glanced at Lord El-Melloi II, tapping his fingers on the table as he read her class notes. She knew he was concerned about who she would encounter. In the two months since the slaughter, Hazel had been preparing to fight against them, especially Darnic. He felt that gave her an advantage, understanding both sides of this war. He had no doubt in her navigation, but knew that her mind was in a different place after Bazett's death.

"Fiore is one of them." she said, hoping to calm his anxiety. "If anything I'll help her out, it will keep my mind off Darnic until I can strike."

"I just want to see you back here, Hazel."

"With or without the grail?" she asked.

"With, preferably." he said, and she sighed to his request, closing the book and placing it in her bag, "Something wrong with that?"

Hazel curled her fingers around her coffee mug, curious where this conversation would lead.

"You know what's funny? I bet the Mages Association will just do what Darnic has done," she said, "Study and dissect it to find the Root. The only way to stop these wars is to have the Greater Grail gone for good."

"But finding the Root would change our entire structure for magic, we could understand why our potentials are limited..."

"They want power, Le Deux." she said, "People do great things without magic every day, but no one looks at how simple life can be. Just what they can gain."

"The grail must be protected." He was stern, she was unsure if he was only speaking on behalf of his employer or with his own intentions.

"Waver," she began, using his real name always meant she was serious. "I don't have a wish. I had everything I wanted before this war crept up. Now my best friend is dead, my family is in jail or hospitalized, and my office is empty. I just want to avenge my comrades, and find those who went after the people I vowed to protect."

"Then why is it an issue to bring the grail back to Clock Tower, if you have no wish?" he said, and her eyes glared at him like blades cutting fresh skin.

"Are you calling me a traitor, too?" she asked. Though he was scared, they still worked for the same organization.

"If you want to avenge them, you would act with the request of the Mages Association."

"Now you sound like Kayneth." she said. He froze for a moment but knew that this was important for her to understand. That her personal endeavors weren't the only ones at risk.

"You can't only seek revenge, Hazel," he said, "Once Darnic is dead you'll have to find another purpose." She thought for a moment. But he didn't understand. To him, all he knew of those mages was their names. Not the families they left behind, or how they were taken out in such a senseless way. She was called the Golden Fox because she was clever and always succeeded in her missions to save others in her group, not because she was a traitor. But if this was her final battle, then sides didn't matter, only damage.

"Maybe revenge is all I want." she said, "I can't help it, Le Deux. I saved them before and I obeyed the Mages Association to stand down. I lost my best friend and comrades to a bunch of spikes."

"You would have died too!" he shouted. Hazel knew he only raised his voice if he was passionate about something. It worried him that she could have been impaled, if so he would have no friends, only acquaintances. Like him, she had worked for her reputation but didn't see the people who supported her. That her survival was necessary. "The students look up to you like a hero, and if you were killed like that there would have been no hope for us to succeed in this war."

"So why am I fighting with the Black Faction?" she asked and there was a pause. Hazel could see there was a reason now, and she had to elaborate. "Making this a mission is just a cover up to make me feel better. What does the council think?"

He sighed before stating his truth, hoping she would act rationally. "After your father gave away some of his most valuable treasures to Yggdmillennia, many thought you were working together and contaminated the house to clear evidence-"

"That's bull."

"-Your family has a past with Darnic, your grandfather was a friend to him when they were young. Therefore, you are the only one who can get close enough to kill him." The reason only made her more upset. She lived with her grandfather's work every day. She hated how even when she tried to be a good person, what her family did always spoke louder than her personal victories.

"It's always about the past, isn't it?" she said, tightening her fingers around the empty mug.

"Hazel."

"No one looks at my record, it's always based on those who lived before me, dammit." she said, angry. Her fingers tensed up around the cup and she shut her eyes, crushing the porcelain between her fingers. Though they bleed, her hands began to heal almost instantly. She felt a tear go down her face, reminding her that even when she felt successful, the world was full of others looking for imperfections. The shield that was fused to her circuits and crest was not her own, just a tool, which is how she was viewed by the Mages Association.

Two hands glided on top of hers. The pressure felt calming, and she began to breathe steadily. She opened her eyes to look at her dear friend. She knew this hurt him to see her distraught, but she couldn't help it. She knew she would lose eventually, but didn't think it would happen all at once. Bazett was her childhood friend, and partner in combat, but Waver was a warrior of the mind. He wasn't afraid to be blunt when others were afraid to anger her. She knew he would stay out of the main fight, because if he were to suffer, she would have no one to focus her.

She sighed, and grasped his hands. She shook her head, thinking about her situation. "I almost had my perfect ending. Now, I have to fight to get it back."

"You always come back, stronger than before." he said. It was what she would tell him before she left on a mission. He had faith in her to succeed, and it was clear now that there was little to be done, only her departure.

"Let's go." she said, grabbing a bundle of money from her cardigan pocket and placing it on the table before walking away.

They continued to talk as they walked to the train station. It was before the big rush of people which is what Hazel wanted, and Waver too. They walked naturally next to each other that many mistook them for a couple. It was a rumor at Clock Tower, but they both laughed it off. When they were still students they made a deal if he wasn't married by thirty the two would wed. He often asked about the mages Hazel would receive proposals from and turn down. They became more frequent now that she had settled in at Clock Tower and it was annoying. She thought the only positive point to siding with the Black Faction was that the requests would stop.

"Have you summoned your servant yet?" he asked, breaking her focus from the looks around her.

"Last night." she said, "I promised I'd be back before dark."

"What class?" he asked, and Hazel gulped. She had hoped to save this conversation for a phone call.

"I mean, it doesn't matter-"

"Hazel."

"-He's a Berserker Cú Chulainn." she said in a mumble, but he heard every word. Waver's face turned red. He grabbed her wrist and sped up towards the gate.

"Waver, stop."

He pressed his hand against his brow as they went through the terminal. "You left a Berserker by himself for an entire day? My god, Hazel Frances have you gone mad?!"

"I mean he _is_ mad but let's not offend my servant."

"You're more immature than Flat!" he said as she broke free from his grasp. They were in front of the train.

"I set up a barrier. He's quite docile in the woods, I think it reminds him of home."

He sighed, frustrated by her naivety. "I doubt that will hold him. If I knew this I wouldn't had coffee. The last thing the Mages Association needs is a mad hero roaming the country side-"

"He'll be fine."

"-Just get on the bloody train." Lord El-Melloi II said and she turned her back to walk on board. This was not the goodbye she had intended but there was one more confession she wanted to make. She pulled down the window next to her seat as the train was put in motion.

"Hey, Waver," she yelled out the window. He turned. "Don't blame yourself for what happens to me in this war, okay?" She smiled at him, and he nodded and waved good bye as the train took off. He was her last true friend in this world of mages, and he only needed to worry about himself.

Lord El Melloi II stood there for a moment as the train left. It was the first time he saw her true smile in months. She used to always be vibrant, strong, and above all caring. But her eyes had turned cold only wanting more bloodshed. What she asked of him was something impossible, because she was always orbiting within his mind.

"I'll try not to." he said, turning away from the tracks to return home.


	5. Chapter 3: A Hound and His Master

**Chapter 3: A Hound and His Master**

The bunker was only two hours from Clock Tower by train and walk. It was a short distance and a nice escape when Hazel needed to find some peace. With her family home quarantined, she had no place else to go.

There was a small town the train stopped in which was about half an hour from the forest. It was one rooted in traditions, isolated from city life. From looking at how the locals were acting no one seemed alarmed. There were still children playing in the streets before supper and drunks asleep at the bar in daylight. Some of the young men looked at her through the windows of shops as she tightened her hair into a bun. People knew her as someone who kept to herself, and she ignored their wandering eyes. No word of a man in black armor and red markings on the streets meant Berserker obeyed her command.

Once Hazel entered the woods, she used some mage craft to propel herself through the forest. Though the greens were vibrant and lush, she observed that there were no animals. She would typically spot one or two on her trek home, but assumed they had gone to scavenge somewhere else.

The bunker was in a clearing, rusted on the outside with grass growing up the sides. It was a gift from Master Belfeban when she became a professor. She used it as a vacation space on the weekends to grade, clear her head, and practice her mage craft in peace.

Though there were fallen trees in the area, everything else was untouched. However, when Hazel went to disengage the barrier, she saw it had been broken.

"Shit." she said and went close to the bunker. Hazel concealed the location again, if Berserker broke the barrier once, she could see how he did it this time.

"Hello? Berserker? I'm back." she said. There was a stillness to the air, not even a chirping bird to break the silence. She waited for something to happen, carefully threading on the grass as she scanned the area.

There was no warning, only a dark presence. Two hands latched onto her elbows, her hairs on the back of her neck rose and she tensed up, hoping he'd remember his master. As he began sniffing to clarify her scent, she stood still and let him do whatever he needed to identify her. Hazel could smell blood but was unsure if it was his or another's, only that it was fresh. She had no idea what he had been doing, but hoped it wasn't as bad as she thought.

Once he recognized her scent, Berserker let go of his master and walked ahead of her. It had been a long time since Hazel felt cornered, but that only meant her opponents would have the same impression. She exhaled, and smirked.

"You scared me." she said. He grabbed her hand, not giving her a chance to separate from him. Unsure of what he had to show her, she had little choice but to follow as he dragged her behind the bunker, but she was shocked by it.

There was a pile of animal carcasses which created a hill. Deer, rabbit, fox, and any other animals were included in the collection of critters. The smell of blood was still new but would rot over time. Clearly he understood the idea of not killing people, but resorted to hunting something else instead.

"Well, there goes the food chain." Hazel commented and looked at his face. He was proud of his spoils, and Hazel felt it was a kind gesture. He kept himself entertained at least, and it was an impressive feat. But with all the meat present before her, she felt her stomach begin to speak for itself.

"Let's cook some of this." she said, and began to gather wood for a fire. She made a shield shaped like a blade to cut apart one of the trees Berserker had already taken down. As she put logs on the fire and set up a grill plate on top. While channeling her inner pyro, Berserker had carried one of the larger deer carcasses next to her and began to cut pieces with his spear. She had to admit that the Gae Bolg was a beautiful weapon. It reminded her of a red spinal cord with sharp needles for nerve endings. It was humorous to her, that the first use of it in his second life was for killing animals instead of a servant. She grabbed some large cuts from the deer he set aside and let them simmer for a moment. As they cooked, the blood from the meat dripped into the flames, making the fire grow. After a few minutes, she grabbed the meat with skewers for both of them. Berserker was still cutting out organs and other unwanted parts from the deer.

"Here." Hazel said handing him the piece. He was focused on his task but Hazel was patient. Once he had finished cutting apart the animal, Berserker snatched the skewer from her hand and quickly began to devour it.

"Is it good?" she asked, smiling, but he was content eating. Hazel was never the greatest cook, but she hadn't died yet so that was a start.

Berserker responded simply by finishing off the remainder of the carcass that was good to eat. His master sat close to the fire and he remained in his corner, both satisfied with their meals. After he finished the meat he threw the carcass into the forest. It went over the trees, and far enough that Hazel couldn't hear it land, but she watched the organs splatter onto the tree tops, impressed by his strength.

He sat next to the fire to be close to the warmth. Berserker looked at his master, curious about the worries on her mind. She was trying to think about the war. How to talk to her servant. He seemed to understand situations, and that she was someone he needed to listen to. Being away from her family, Hazel could distance herself and focus on the mission at hand. It was just her and Berserker, that's what mattered in this war.

They sat in silence by the fire, occasionally glancing at the moon and each other. The stars were bright in the sky and the air was still with no wind passing through. Hazel always enjoyed the forest because that was where Bazett and she would play as children. It was a comfortable place, one she felt safe in and could understand. She knew Trifas had many areas like this and at least she could navigate them.

"We'll leave in the morning for Trifas. It will be a full day of traveling. I bought you some regular clothes for the ride." she commented, but he tipped his brow in confusion. The statement was random but she wanted to say something to break the silence. Hazel thought they should talk about something else, make the conversation about him.

"What is your wish?" Hazel asked. He didn't know how to respond except by grabbing his weapon. It glowed a brilliant red as Hazel tried to think what it would mean.

"You…want to change your past?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Okay… remove the curse from your weapon?" he grunted and held his lance tighter. She paused for a moment to think.

"Um… you want to fight?" she asked a final time, and he nodded setting down his weapon. It was a relief, knowing their goals were similar.

He grabbed her shoulder, almost causing Hazel to fall onto her back. Her only inference was that he had the same question for his master.

"I don't have a wish." Hazel replied. "I just want there to be an end to these wars. Return to my family. And fight too." Berserker began to laugh. It reminded her of a bear's roar but that did not intimidate her. Hazel smacked his shoulder and Berserker growled directly at her.

"What, you don't think I fight?" Hazel asked stern, he smirked. Not breaking eye contact, she fired a volley at one of the trees and it fell behind her servant. He looked at her lumberjack job, and proceeded to grin. One fallen tree meant very little compared to his strength. Hazel didn't want to fight him, but at least he could have a good laugh. She pouted.

"I can manage myself in battle, Berserker. You just have fun and I'll follow." she said, bringing her knees up to wrap her arms around them. She had an advantage over these elites that the Mages Association had assigned. Like Kairi, she too had seen bloody battle fields, killed, and succeeded. She was still bitter that they did not select her, but she had to let it go and fight because it was her only way to win.

Berserker was interested in her humble but stubborn nature. He could tell she liked the challenge but thought she was fighting alone. It was only slightly insulting, but overall charming since she had not seen his potential. Maybe then she would understand to stay away from the fight.

After another moment of silence, Hazel thought maybe she needed to call him a different name. One he was familiar with to help build more of a connection between them.

"Um, Berserker," she said, and his ears perked up. "I was wondering if I could call you something else. I thought Cú made sense, if that is okay with you? It's short and I can yell it in battle. You can call me Fox. That's my code name, or Hazel works too." His head turned and Hazel looked at him. There was a sense of confusion in his eyes. That name was familiar, and showed his master understood his past or what little he could remember from it.

Hazel smiled. "Is that okay?" she asked and he gave a nod. Obviously it made her happy to say it. After a moment, he put his fingers where her hair turned into a bun. It had changed from what he saw previously, and he couldn't make sense of how. The night of the summoning she had it untied, and Hazel thought that maybe the appearance confused him. She wanted him to be calm.

"Oh sorry," she said and started to untie her hair until her waves fell down, running past her shoulders in a mess. "Is that better?" she asked and he moved his hand through her hair. The texture of it was familiar, seeing his master in this way made him more comfortable. This woman who he would follow was someone he wanted to protect.

Hazel felt she had to resemble someone from his past. He was acting too docile for a class that was hell-bent on destruction, and his behavior around her was like a loyal dog instead of a vengeful servant. He had many women in his legend but Hazel thought that maybe her resemblance to someone he admired would benefit. He would not want her to be harmed, so she felt safe though others wouldn't. To her, a servant was a person and without a connection, reciprocation, there was little to a partnership. She wanted to have a bond with him so this second life would be less strange, especially if his mind was not focused in the right place.

She realized something important as he combed her hair, separating the tangles with his fingers. Given the two factions Hazel would have to be in control. Once Darnic and his servant were killed, she would have to fight for the Red. She wanted him to know that she was in charge. That even if sides were established his only job was to listen for where to hit.

"Cú," she said as he continued to comb her hair, "It's going to be confusing, but when I tell you someone is an enemy or ally, you need to believe me. Does that make sense?" She looked at his eyes. Their red gleam was alluring, but he simply grunted yanking the final knot from her hair then turned away. She guessed that there was an understanding.

"Thank you again for coming here." she said, and stood up. It was getting late, and Hazel wanted to be on the train by the morning to get to Trifas by the following day. The fire continued to burn out and she began to walk into the bunker, wanting to get some sleep.

"Good night, Cú." said Hazel with a yawn. But he was entranced by the full moon. She thought he would follow her but he stayed behind. She turned around, seeing his body silhouetted in the moonlight, his shadow and physical self almost melded together perfectly. He remained still as she was trying to figure out what he wanted. He would not obey every command of hers, but she at least wanted to devise a reason for it.

"You want to sleep out here?" she guessed and that broke his focus. He smiled with his eyes and she took that as a good sign.

"The sky is beautiful tonight. I'll grab a blanket." She did as she said, including grabbing a pillow and came out to the fire which was just embers now. Hazel laid on the ground, her feet close to the dying flames, and fell asleep rather quickly.

Hazel woke up only a few hours later to a bizarre sight. Cú was next to her, holding her waist. She wasn't sure how to take it, and he was too big to shove off. She was trapped in his grasps but wide-awake, and began to observe the Runes on his arm to pass the time.

She moved her hand over his and traced a finger over one of the Runes, curious about its meaning. She was delicate with her touch but the unknown sensation caused and unexpected reaction. Berserker awoke in a frenzy, unsure what had happened. Hazel rolled away from him as his tail whipped around, striking her thigh. Thinking there was an intruder, he began to power himself up in a black haze.

Berserker grunted, crouched on the ground like a mad dog ready to strike. His armor was one of dark magic, it would harm his master if he was not in control of it. He was livid that she would be stupid enough to look into it. But as he snarled he saw that he had hit her leg, the dress was ripped and her thigh had a cut open, gushing blood. It looked deeper than it was, but watching it bleed made him cringe. His head began to throb, he didn't know why he was like his spear, and his armor acted the same seeing everyone as an enemy. He began to scream, a noise which rumbled the forest like during a thunderstorm.

The cut didn't bother Hazel, being she had worse injuries in the past. She limped over to him and he stepped away. His screams continued to rattle the forest, causing the trees to move like a metronome dial. She just wanted to know what was going on with him. What kind of bomb she had set off and how to contain it.

"Sorry, I was curious," she said and Cú growled. He was upset, but Hazel still came closer. She placed her hand on his chest like before, and in a moment he seemed to calm down, stopping his growls as the forest went back to normal. She paused for a moment until she was certain he was stable.

"It's my fault, not yours. I'll try to be more careful." He did not look at her as she said it, just her wound. She noticed and felt it best to show him her mage craft.

Hazel placed her hand on the wound and began to heal it, melding it together from the inside of the flesh. She showed Berserker, but he could only see the blood soaked into her clothes.

"Look, I'll be fine." she asserted, but he quickly retreated into the woods, vanishing with the thick cover of the forest.

Hazel waited for a moment and called to him, but went back into the bunker after there was no response. She knew Bazett understood Runes and though Hazel could read a few, the ones on his body were hard to determine. She kept the door to the bunker open, in case he came back while she slept. Hazel wrapped gauze around her wound which wasn't completely sealed, and sat on the tattered plaid couch. Hazel had a cot too but the couch was more comfortable even if it smelt of old men and beer. The gash would heal quickly if she put her mana to it, but it wasn't life threatening at this point. This was only a reminder that she had to be careful around her servant.

She fell asleep again, hoping that when she woke her first sight would be the morning sun. But she was curious now about his servant class. How Berserker looked at her when he struck her, she wondered if his rage was amplified in battle more instead of between the two of them. Her theory would only be determined once she could witness his first battle, but all Hazel could infer was that his armor had a mind of its own, as though it was its own beast.


	6. Chapter 4: Train of Thought

**Chapter 4: Train of Thought**

The sunlight filtered through the open door. Hazel slowly opened her eyes only to find her servant asleep on the cot. He came back which was all that mattered, but now was time to pack. She dressed in comfortable clothing, jeans and a t-shirt with a tweed blazer. She put on the earring last, knowing it was the only piece from home she could carry with her. It was strange how after years of going around the continent, her travel load only grew smaller to the basic essentials. Food, a water bottle, phone, and cash were all she needed in the messenger bag.

She stood herself by the cot, waiting until Berserker turned to face her direction. With only three hours to get to the ferry, they had to leave shortly.

"Good morning." she said and he opened his eyes. She handed him the shirt she bought and he flung it back in her face, rolling up in his black cocoon. Hazel wasn't going to stand for this.

"You have to wear this, we're going into town." she said, and he turned his back, whipping his tail at Hazel's feet and tripping her. He was stubborn, but Hazel didn't want to lose track of him if he was in spirit form.

"Fine. If that's how you play..." she said, kicking the poll to undo the cot. He fell to the ground, ripping the canvas of the cheap bed. Hazel laughed as he growled at her, unfazed by his anger.

"Is that all?" she continued laughing and smiling at his intimidation tactic. He was like a child or a young puppy trying to be Alpha, but she wanted to be clear who was in charge.

"Growl all you want, it won't change the fact that I'm your master." she said, and he continued to flash his teeth. She sighed, "You follow me until we have someone to fight, got it?" After his growling stopped he crossed his legs and arms, pouting. She had to make a deal if they were to leave.

"Fine, then we'll stay here in this boring bunker, or you can fight Heroic Spirits. It's up to you." she proposed. He looked at her and she held out her hand so they could help each other up. He grabbed her wrist and stood up, dangling her like a rag doll before setting her on her feet.

Hazel watched, mesmerized by the glow of the Runes. However, she began to feel a stabbing pain in her side. As the armor went away, absorbing into his body, Hazel laid down on the floor, holding her screams in so he would not stop the process. It felt like her flesh was being torn bit by bit but when she looked there were no marks on her skin. The red Runes on his face and body stopped glowing. All that remained on his body was a black set of tights, long black gloves, and a hood. Her legs felt numb as she tried to steady herself, but she managed to work through the pain.

"I tried to keep it simple." She stated, putting on the royal blue sleeveless hoodie. He looked like a punk, but Hazel just needed him covered enough to travel with him physically present. It appeared when the armor was gone his weapon disappeared too, but that didn't bug her. There wouldn't be any hold up at the train station if the Gae Bolg was concealed.

They had to ride a ferry and make two transfers to get to Romania. Cú was confused with all of the people on the boat and at the train station. His attention constantly shifted. Some gave him looks, curious about his markings, but when they saw his face they would run. Others laughed and he would growl at them as they turned their backs. He was curious but also uncertain with the new surroundings. Hazel only wanted to keep him entertained until battle could do it for him.

"People like to stare, just ignore them." Hazel said. He paused a moment and grabbed her hand as they waited for the train. She noticed his palms were warm as he locked his fingers with hers. He smiled, holding her hand seemed familiar, as though he remembered what it was like to admire someone.

Hazel didn't care if he couldn't speak much, she felt they were connecting at least. They got onto the train and sat down in the empty car. She offered him the window for the first stretch to France. He looked out, watching the landscapes change from city to countryside. His expressions made Hazel smile. She felt that maybe his rage from the Berserker Class was not really a rage of insanity, just frustration in one's self. It was clear he wanted no harm to come to her but Hazel hoped their first fight would change that. That he could see her as an ally in battle instead of someone to save.

She napped on the train before they reached France, and when the train stopped she woke up realizing she had rested her head on Cú's shoulder. The mana she was using to keep Berserker's armor hidden was making her more tired. He gave a grin and she tried to ignore it though he saw her blush from embarrassment. She grabbed the messenger bag and they went onto the last train.

Hazel sat in the window seat. It was dark now but the train would reach Romania in the mid-morning. Cú had put up his hood and fell asleep rather quickly. It seemed that as long as one of them was sleeping her mana remained stable to keep the armor from emerging. Once they reached somewhere with coverage she would let him expose his armor. She was relaxed as the scenery glided through her view.

Her phone began to ring just before she fell asleep. She had a bad feeling, but there was only one other professor besides her friend who would be at Clock Tower this late. She picked up the call.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Matterhorn." he said. This was the last person she wanted to speak to.

Hazel sighed. "Bram Sophia Rei, I was waiting to hear from you."

"I was hoping you'd say good bye, glance over my selections once more?" That was surprising. Though Hazel gave suggestions Bram was certain he had a good sum of catalysts. Even with her family's collection at his disposal, Bram couldn't take recommendations from anyone.

"You could have caught me before I left."

"I was busy." he replied. "Sorry my work isn't punching students and killing my future in law." He was trying to be smart, but his ego and status were his least desirable traits. Hazel rolled her eyes, unamused.

"Says the man who thought a playwright would make a good servant?" Bram gasped on the other end. This was their typical banter, throwing zings at one another to piss each other off.

"I had a time restraint. And at least I don't provide fake catalysts, you trickster!" he yelled. Hazel leaned forward, upset by his remark.

"Excuse me? I gave you everything in that house." she said, sharp with her tone.

"Then where is the real arrowhead that struck Achilles' heel?" he asked.

Hazel froze. Her grandfather had two artifacts, both arrowheads but for different purposes. 'The Teacher and Student' is what he named the pair, but Hazel knew now why her home was attacked, even when she did not tamper with the artifacts.

"It wasn't me Bram, the only man with enough skill for that is…"

"Your father." Bram said calmly, knowing her was in control. "I thought you would be smart enough to check, Hazel. Unless you still trust your father and those he works for?"

"If you spoke to me before I left I would have searched for it." Hazel spit out. She knew exactly what he was doing, pinning her to a side she didn't want to be associated with.

"Or kept it for yourself to help Yggdmillennia win." he said it with a chuckle. That was it.

"Listen weasel, I gave you your answer. You know I could kill you if I wanted to."

"Are you threatening me, Ms. Matterhorn?" Bram said. She paused, processing what she had said. Bram exhaled on the other line, "Let's hope it has not fallen into the Black Faction's hands, otherwise you will be barred from Clock Tower."

"You have no control over that." she said, wanting to believe that; however, Bram knew he had the upper hand in this debate.

"I have connections here Ms. Matterhorn, and seniority being the head of Evocation. A fake catalyst is all I need to exile you from the Mages Association." Bram hissed. "If Yggdmillennia wins someone must take the blame, and it certainly won't be me."

"You'd threaten me with this crap now?" Hazel said, pulling on her jeans to control herself from saying all the insults circling in her head.

"That is what has been decided. Return with the grail and do not fail Golden Fox, or you will have nothing left." Bram stated.

"I'll kill the bastard and come back, that's a promise."

"One you can't keep." he said, and hung up the phone.

Hazel sat for a moment, tensing her hands around her forehead. She knew now that she couldn't get out of this without some repercussion. Bram was good at covering up his dirty deeds and always wanted to see her fail. With a fake catalyst of this magnitude she would have her record erased, be exiled from the community she worked hard to fit into.

She couldn't see a point to any of this. Her father was already in prison for his actions. She handled artifacts but was not an expert which is why she gave them to Bram. If anything, he waited to examine her family treasures so she wouldn't be able to testify in person. This one catalyst would put her into an unescapable hole unless she retrieved the grail.

Her stomach began to turn, wishing she could fast forward through all of it. But looking at her servant beside her was a reminder. His goals were simple, and she could work with that. It would be unfair to Berserker if she didn't allow him an opportunity to fight. She breathed deeply, trying to ignore the conversation. Bram could stay safe in his office and rejoice in his victory, but she would be more than willing to fight her way out of this mess. And when she did, Bram would have a nice black eye to match his serpent smile.

The phone rang again, this time it was someone she wanted to talk to.

"Hey Le Deux, how's the Clock Tower's handsomest professor?" Hazel answered, her words crisp and over exaggerated. She would only suck up to him if something was wrong.

"You sound upset, did I…?"

"No. I'm fine." she interrupted, sitting up in her seat.

"Hazel, I know when you lie, too." He said. There was no point in hiding her frustrations.

She exhaled. "Bram just called. One of my catalysts was a fake." she said, crossing her legs in her seat.

"Which one?"

"The arrowhead that killed Achilles." There was a pause. Waver knew as well as Hazel did that it was the reason for the home invasion. But, he couldn't think of anything to say.

"I'm sorry." he said, Hazel sighed.

"It's not your fault, just pissed. Now if I come back with nothing, that's all I'll have." Hazel relaxed into her chair, it was at least good to hear his voice.

"Hazel, I didn't know they were going to exile you from Clock Tower, just that they wanted the Holy Grail." he said, feeling guilty that he couldn't do anything.

"They wouldn't tell that to someone I trust, just the elites who want me to disappear." she said, thinking about how her former instructor would see this. She chuckled. "I bet Professor Kayneth is laughing with joy right now."

"Don't say that." Waver said, authoritative. "I'll do what I can to keep Bram distracted, right now you have to focus on the war."

"So this call isn't to say hello?" she asked, and he sighed. He had information for her clearly.

"One of the Masters of Black was found dead this morning. And I have only had contact with two of the Masters of Red."

"Which two?" she asked.

"Kairi and Shirou Kotomine." he said. That was strange being the Association was strict about communication. However, she could not concern herself with the Red Faction until she took on her personal goals for revenge.

"Weird." she said, "I'll keep my eyes and ears open." There was a pause, trying to figure out who would speak.

"Hazel, whoever took that arrowhead will use it." Waver stated, but Hazel was not amused.

"Wow, you're a real detective Waver." she said, and he sighed through the phone. Once she found Achilles, his master would be the likely culprit. In a way, they would be easier to take down than Darnic. But even after her snide remark, Waver had nothing to say. She was curious what was on his mind.

"Something wrong with you?" she asked. He gulped.

"Nothing really. Just hope I can fill your shoes while you're gone." His voice was shaky as though there was more he wanted to say. Hazel always was supportive of him since they met, and she knew that she wasn't the best at planning like he was. Her lessons were based around her students and the issues they faced, not on a syllabus. She knew that even after all this time, Waver's worst enemy was still himself. That was one thing they could relate to.

"I think you're too big for them." she said and he chuckled. The sky was just starting to show warm colors, and once they reached Romania there would be no communication. This would be the last time they could talk for a while.

"Coffee when I return?" she asked.

"Of course."

"Good. I'll call you when Darnic is dead."

"You can call sooner." he mumbled into the phone, but static began to trickle through the device.

"What? You're breaking up."

"…Hazel I…." The phone disconnected, but they were entering the boarder of Romania now. She reset her phone, just in case someone decided to dig through her items once she got to Yggdmillennia.

Hazel began to dig through her pockets looking for something to entertain her. She forgot that there was a small photo wallet inside her blazer, but it was a nice surprise. After looking through the pictures once, she turned to see that Berserker had woken up, peaking over her shoulder. She hoped it wasn't her conversation that took him away from his slumber.

Cú took the photo wallet from her. He went through quickly but stopped on a photograph, one she now treasured. He traced his fingers around the face of her friend, where her earrings fell.

"That was Bazett." He looked at the next photo, the two of them smiling. Each had an earring, one he possessed from a past he vaguely remembered. He brushed his hand on the earring that Hazel had. She held his hand there as he gripped the earring tightly, but seeing the similarity was keeping him relaxed. It made her smile.

He could see the sorrow in her eyes. She still wished Bazett could have met him even like this. She was a dear friend, in the same way that Waver was. They were honest and could fight with each other but still be companions.

"You were her favorite hero." she said softly, letting go of his hand.

Next was a picture after her and Waver when they graduated from Clock Tower. She had his arm around him in the photo with a big smile. He smiled without his teeth but his eyes looked like he was trapped. Hazel thought the image defined her friendship with him accurately.

"Oh that's who I was talking to, he has a few names but I knew him as Waver first." Berserker still was skeptical, Hazel sighed. "Just friends, Cú. Smart, but stupid when it comes to women."

Hazel went through a few other photographs of her family. It was hard to see images of her father who she felt was a good parent, but she never saw the darker side of his business until she was older. The Matterhorn's were known for projecting shields, and also adapting to their own needs. Her father wanted to expand their knowledge into other territories, which is why he decided to practice blood magic. Hazel knew from birth that her grandfather and father wanted her to be the one to bring their family into a higher status. That she would have a knowledge and power that greedy mages would want to covet.

A single tear fell, knowing those memories were gone. That the last four years she had tested her limits as a combat mage to find out how she wanted to use her magic, learning how to defend herself so she could teach her students to be strong from within, and not turnout as she did. But this war put a hold on a happy ending that she was already living.

Berserker wasn't sure why she cried, loosely holding the wallet of photographs. He pressed his thumb against her check to clear her tears and she looked at him. Through his eyes she could see that he wanted to be of help. She moved his hand and held it tight once more, like how Waver would do so. She had not had this connection with many, but she wanted it. Someone who would just listen. Now that Bazett was gone, there was few she could cling to. She couldn't tell if her servant understood, but he seemed to only want her safe.

As the train began to pull into the terminal, a black spike ripped the seat cushion he was sitting on. Berserker's armor was reaching its limits for concealment. It was sunrise now and they were close to the station but she could feel the pain of the armor ripping her skin again. They needed to escape.

"Cú, it'll be okay." Hazel said calmly, though she was sweating. They waited until the train began to slow down before it completely entered the station. Hazel grabbed the bag and limped toward the back door of the train car with Cú following behind her. His leg was now completely covered with black armor and a claw like foot. She couldn't feel her leg, but they had to get away from the public eye.

"We'll be taking a detour." she stated as they jumped off the train and went into the forest for cover.


	7. Chapter 5: Under the Radar

**Chapter 5: Under the Radar**

The old catacomb was tight, which made the smell of rotting people even more unbearable. The only entertainment in this dark place was a letter writer, old bones, and a small fire. The knight sat with her master, waiting for the sun to set so they could have some action.

The phone rang and the young knight grabbed it before her master could move his hand.

"Who is this?" Saber demanded to know, looking at the phone, but it only continued ringing. Kairi sighed, knowing who it was and picked up the call.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Kairi, it's Lord El-Melloi II." His voice was dull but Kairi knew why he was calling.

"Oh joy. You're checking on your lady?"

"Excuse me?"

Kairi chuckled. "My, everyone jokes about it. She's the only thing that makes you smile, right?"

"Hazel's not my girlfriend, she's a dear colleague." Lord El-Melloi II scoffed, but he was calling to ensure she reached Romania safely, and Kairi was his only resource.

"Damn, you're moody. I haven't talked with her since Clock Tower." Kairi said.

Lord El-Melloi II was concerned. If Hazel had not found Kairi then she may be in danger. He trusted her for the most part, but with no correspondence from the other mages they would not know about her mission, and eliminate her as quickly as possible.

Kairi sighed. He knew the professor was just looking out for her, and could sense the concern in his silence.

"Look, Fox won't find me until she needs something. Spies are everywhere, have to be careful not to insight suspicion." There was a pause as the professor forced himself to accept that truth. What happened now was out of his hands.

"That's true. I'll let you know if there are any updates." Lord El-Melloi II said. "Just make sure she doesn't do anything reckless?"

"Can't promise that."

"Well make a damn effort!" He hung up, frustrated that he didn't have a decisive answer.

"Who the hell is this Fox person, Master?" Saber remarked, tossing a skull in the air like a basketball.

"Someone I used to run into on missions. She's one of the few mages I can stand, before she became a teacher."

"She become a bitch?" Saber questioned, catching the skull.

Kairi shrugged. "Just matured a little quickly. She doesn't want anything from this war except to complete her mission and to see it end." Saber continued to play with the skull, this person sounded like a bore, but unfortunately talking to her master was an easy form of entertainment.

"Who would enter a war like this and not have a wish?"

"Someone who just wants to fight and enjoy it." he said and his servant jumped from the ground, now face to face with her master.

"Well our goals come before your precious fox chick, so don't even think about giving her the Holy Grail.-"

"Now why would I?"

"-I don't know, just don't want you getting any ideas." Saber said, crossing her arms and pouting in frustration.

"Why wasn't she a Master of Red in the first place?" she asked.

"Her father screwed up her chances to be one." Saber rose an eyebrow to that. Kairi felt there was nothing to hide being they were already talking about her. After their encounter at the Church, he didn't mind telling Saber about opponents he knew of. He began carving a piece of bone nearby, just to make the time move faster.

"Hazel Matterhorn, her code name is the Golden Fox which is what I call her. Combat mage, talented in blood magic and shields. Her father donated catalysts to the Black Faction and was jailed for treason. She donated the rest of the artifacts to the Mages Association in an effort to sooth tensions; but, shortly after that news broke, her mother and sister were taken to the hospital because of a poisonous spell in their home.-"

"-People, especially the Mages Association, began to think it was best for Fox not to participate in the Great Holy Grail War, even with her experience in battle and faithfulness to them. But that only pissed her off, so now she's out for revenge."

"Master, why are you telling me this?"

Kairi continued to make the spike, and could tell Mordred was uninterested. He knew how Fox used to be. Excited to fight and learn, much like the knight he had summoned. However, he knew if the Black Faction won, Hazel would be blamed and exiled from a community that praised her actions. She would lose either way.

On their last mission, Hazel mentioned all she wanted was to keep a balance between the good and the bad things she had done. Kairi respected that philosophy, but knew in order to do so, he and Saber needed to blast through everyone. He had his own goals, and at least those did not conflict with her simple desire.

Kairi shrugged, "Thought it might be something you could relate to, Saber." Mordred sighed, she had not met this Fox person, and therefore couldn't trust them.

"Just let me know who she is so I don't kill her." Mordred said as her master finished carving the spike. Kairi smiled, knowing that in battle, there was no mistaking the Golden Fox.

* * *

"Here." Hazel said, trying to catch her breath. They were on the outskirts of the village of Trifas, in dense woods that made enough cover. Hazel was still limping and sweating from the pain. She fell to the ground.

"You can put your armor on." she said and he obeyed. The spikes began to emerge from his body, shredding the one piece of clothing she gave him. Hazel laid on the ground, gripping the dirt and branches to avoid screaming. The red Runes glowed and he was once again covered in his black skeletal armor. Hazel breathed, it felt good to not conceal his presence, but now she was tired from the mana it took to do so.

They began to walk, but Hazel could tell her leg were numb. They wouldn't make it to the Yggdmillennia fortress until after dark, and by then there were bound to be servants in the woods. She sat down by a tree and Berserker stopped.

"Can you guard?" she asked breaking his thought. He shifted his eyes, their gaze was intense but she took it as a sign not to distract him. Hazel laid down on the hard ground, the grass bent like coarse paper being crumpled.

"I'm going to take a nap." she remarked. Berserker sat beside her, alert as he stared at their surroundings. She closed her eyes, slowly fading away.

As Hazel slept images began to go through her head. The spikes are what stood out to her. Like bones ripped from the earth they distorted the soil. One by one their faces appeared, strung up in this web of murder, none able to escape. Impaled through their chests, some still twitching from the pain. Screaming to be killed, over and over, like an emergency siren. She walked through the clearing, listening to their cries in the moonlight, but one voice rang out.

"Why didn't you come, Hazel?" It was Bazett propped against a tree, impaled through the chest with a spike.

"I'm here now, Baz." she said, invested in this nightmare. One that remained in her mind since she saw the images from that night.

"You're too late, Golden Fox." Another voice stated and others joined in. Screams of pain echoed through the distorted valley. This nightmare was something she did not want. She had to control it somehow.

"They didn't send me." Hazel replied, but the screams only grew louder.

"You chose not to come," one said. "Not to die."

"You could have helped us. You've saved us before." Another rang out.

"No, that's not it. I'll help now. I'll fight." she said frantic, trying to silence them. But the more she tried the closer the spikes came to her. The volume of screams rose, so much so that covering her ears was no use.

"Hazel. Are you one of them?" It was Bazett again. Hazel looked down to see a jacket on her body, one of the Yggdmillennia clan. The voices came to a halt, only sounds of a crow cawing could be heard. When Hazel looked up, she saw Baz, her slit throat, eyes with a bleak grey color. She was dead, they all were. This eerie silence in a field of corpses made Hazel fall to her knees. She waited in the silence glancing at the moon, wondering when this illusion would end.

Suddenly, she heard something twist and faced her friend once more. Bazett's head spun, grinding bone and twisting skin so it would rip. The face morphed into one she would never forget, the face of her last kill.

"Death is death" it said, blood pouring from their neck. "No matter what side, there is only one outcome. Why live? Why fight! No one will be saved in the end!" The voice screamed and she began to feel the spikes surround her.

"No!" she shouted, trying to activate her shield and it wouldn't shape. The spikes began to go through her body, shredding her organs as blood flowed from her mouth. She was suffocating from the lack of air, drowning in her own regret and could not escape. As she looked at the moon, everything began to fade to black as she was forced to accept this end.

She woke in a sweat, gasping for air. Berserker sat closer to her, his legs crossed, unmoved by her panic. There were no scars besides the ones from her shield on her torso, but the reality of the dream made her feel more guilt. The pain her cohorts must have felt was something that she did not want to think of. It just made her more upset with what The Mages Association had done, sending them into a battlefield like this, not anticipating Yggdmillennia would plan for it.

Hazel looked to her servant and realized there was a reason for his detachment. The sun was about to set and there was a faint sense of magical energy. Hazel couldn't tell if they were opposing servants or familiars from Yggdmillennia, but clearly they weren't alone.

This was war, and in battle she only had to worry about her servant. That past which caused his summons was her story. It was best now to put it aside for both their sakes. The more she thought about those images the sooner Darnic would catch onto her. She had a hard time holding in her anger, but she had to be tame. It was the only way to complete this task she was assigned.

"Sorry, just a bad dream." Hazel said stretching, shaking off the nightmare so she could focus on the present. The sun had almost set but they continued to move on. Berserker was staring off into the distance behind them, as though he knew his target. She was glad he did not engage them, and trusted he was smart to wait until they attacked. Her mana had recovered now that she had gotten some sleep. They were ready to go when the time came.

Berserker noticed that he and his master had not eaten. The threat was keeping their distance, and he was concerned for his master's health. She had two bars but that would not be filling. Even for a mad warrior he was protective. He wandered off to find food, but Hazel was not worried. She knew he would find his way back after she left him at the bunker for a day.

She had never eaten much on missions, especially now that she was getting nervous. She was afraid how he would treat her arrival, what the other Masters of Black would think of her. Being someone who worked closely with the Mages Association, she had to make a cover story, twist her words but keep the emotion. She was upset about the fifty mages but wished they would have sent her from the beginning. Also, that they selected other elite mages because they felt she would just betray them. Hazel figured if she could pin fighting for the Black Faction as payback for insulting her loyalty then her story would fit.

Berserker appeared in front of her with a dead rabbit, he held it out hoping she would take and eat it.

"Cú, I'm really not hungry." She turned her back but he was confused. It was a gift, he wanted his Master to be fed. He spun her and dropped the dead rabbit in her hands. Hazel didn't know what to do.

"Look, let's get to the fortress first." she said but he still looked upset. Hazel had hunted before but feared eating raw meat, mostly because that meant the two granola bars would leave her system too. Yet denying food was an insult in his culture, she had to be cooperative.

"One bite, that's it." she stated. He smiled and skinned an area with his hand so she'd know where to bite. It was the thigh, less filled with bone and easy to get at. She paused but he was staring intently until she bit into the corpse. Hazel braced herself and dug her teeth in, hard enough that some blood squirted in her face. At first it was like chewing salt, but when it hit the bottom of her stomach she began to feel it not settle. Her internal shield activated. Though it was meant to ward off light and dark spells that affected the body, sometimes spoiled food, or poisoned drinks, would be a trigger.

She latched onto a tree and began to puke up the meat and the little food she had eaten. Berserker stood by her side. Once she was done she stood up and opened her bag, regretting she had little water in her water bottle. Berserker felt terrible, and steadied his master, gripping her shoulders tightly. She was used to this sick feeling but felt bad he had to see it.

"It's okay Cú. Happens more than you think." she said and they pressed on.

They came to a stream and Hazel washed her bloody face, drinking straight from the flowing water to clear out the salty taste and foul odor. Berserker watched her like this, admiring her attempts to please him. She looked familiar to him in the face, a woman from his past that he wanted to protect, but her personality was something else. Unlike that one, she was adventurous and kind, which were good traits in a partner.

There was a rustle in the trees. Hazel heard Berserker growl, focused on something in the trees. This time the presence was much stronger. Now that the sun had set, they could meet their spies. They were keeping their distance on purpose. She activated her shield as her servant stood close to her.

"Okay," she announced, "How would we like to do this? Introduce ourselves, cut to the fighting? I'm open to options." They waited patiently for a moment and then an arrow came from above. Berserker leapt to dodge it. Hazel projected the shield closer to her body and waited. Another arrow came and the shield protected them. Berserker went in front of his master, posed to strike.

"We've been tracking you all day and you just noticed us?" It was a male voice, cynical in tone.

Hazel chuckled. "You haven't left his sights. But at least you waited until nightfall."

"It's no fun to kill you in your sleep." The male said again. Another arrow fired, and Berserker deflected it.

"Why aren't you revealing yourselves? Afraid I know who you are?"

"Please, we can take you out before you see our faces. It's what our masters' want."

Another volley shot towards them. She saw faint movement in the trees. This Archer was swift, but at this point it would be easier to lure out the second opponent than find the bowman.

"You don't strike me as an Assassin, so why hide?" Hazel asked, hoping to provoke him. "Isn't that what cowards do?" There was a pause and then a big laugh. She prepared for the worst.

"They told us to, but you're right." The voice said. "I like to see my opponent's eyes when they fall."

Green lights cut through the trees like swords. As they fell, Berserker fled piercing them aside with his lance as Hazel remained with her shield up. Even without the shield, the trees seemed to fall out of line with her position. This servant wanted to kill Berserker, but leave her intact.

Once the trees landed away from her, she could see the servant. He had green hair and a long red scarf with heavy armor to cover his calves and heels. Just by that alone she could infer his identity. That somehow the Red Faction had secured the artifact her father had hidden. But why use deadly means to get the catalyst and summon the hero of the Trojan War? Who would do this when she was already on the side of the Mages Association? His presence only rose multiple questions.

"Are you in awe, Ms. Master? You should be." Achilles said with a cunning smile, both sides prepared to fight.


	8. Chapter 6: Wild Pairs Part I

**Chapter 6: Wild Pairs Part I**

Without hesitation Berserker sprung forward, out to kill the one who attempted to crush his master.

"Cú dammit." Hazel said, but the battle had already begun. Berserker lunged his spear as Achilles clashed his. It was hard for her eyes to follow the battle with how fast they hit each other. The tree leaves were rustling wildly as she tried to follow them deeper into the forest. Though Berserker was in a mad rage, she could tell that he was focused on his enemy. Like her, the thrill of battle couldn't be forgotten.

As she followed she noticed some blinking lights through the trees. It was likely a camera or familiar. They were being watched, and hopefully would have allies soon.

With her Berserker distracted, Hazel tried to gauge where Archer was hiding. She felt they wouldn't stray far from their ally, so she began to follow the two men. No arrows were fired as she ran, but she constantly glanced over her shoulder, anticipating an attack.

Berserker did not hold back. Trees fell like dominos as both went after each other with little thought to their environment. His opponent was jumping away more as Berserker's weapon upheaved the ground. Dirt and rocks were flying but the Archer of Red used this for cover. The arrows came from above and Hazel dodged them, with one stray hitting her ankle. She would need to get Archer out of her hideout if this battle were to continue.

Hazel thought that eliminating her environment was the easiest way. She began attacking the tree trunks, throwing yellow disks to knock them down, as Berserker was doing with his weapon. Some fell leaving Archer in a large oak, standing strong with her gaze fixed. Hazel saw a tail and what appeared to be cat ears silhouetted in the green backdrop. Berserker leapt in front of her while she was distracted, imprinting his feet in the ground. He deflected the arrows fired, and Rider appeared beside his partner in the tree. They paused for a moment, the pairs both prepared to continue.

Rider was surprised. "You're mad enough to fight a servant, Ms. Master? Sis here is quite deadly."

Hazel chuckled, "If your masters show themselves I will gladly duel them. But I assume they are hiding?" she said.

"Why should that matter?"

"Well, sucks for you if they can't provide support." she persisted, not intending to back away from this battle. "Guess I will have to act as a servant if your masters are too afraid to face the Golden Fox." Hazel and Rider grinned. He was curious to see what this boastful woman had to offer.

"You have passion. I like that, but you will die if you stay." Rider was curious but would regret slaying a woman. Archer would gage her skill better, especially since he wanted to continue his fight with Berserker.

"Oh, I know I have no chance against you. But he's more fun to tangle with anyway." Hazel said, nodding to her servant. She pulled Berserker close, to give one final order before he continued.

"Aim for his heels." she whispered, and an arrow fired between them.

"Rider, she knows your true name." Archer of Red said.

"Berserker is mine, Archer." In that moment Rider charged Berserker, kicking his chest to propel him into a different part of the forest. But, Berserker grabbed his leg and threw him in another direction like a Frisbee, then went after his prey. Hazel remained but a barrage of arrows pushed her away. She projected a golden shield around her head and neck as she ran to find an open area.

She watched the rustling leaves as Archer of Red floated through the trees continuing to fire. She had to be creative, pull her opponent close to land a good hit, and stall her long enough until more of the Black Faction arrived.

"I'm all yours, Archer." Hazel announced with a smile. It was a trap but Archer was not afraid. This mage was arrogant enough to let her life be thrown away.

Hazel had a plan, a trick that saved her multiple times. The arrows grazed parts of her body. Blood flew on the arrow tips as she dodged them, preparing an attack for later. Archer continued to fire, wanting to kill her opponent. Hazel's feet slowed as she felt grass brush up against her legs instead of dry dirt. The moon hung like a chandelier above the trees in the circular clearing. She'd have to corner Archer here.

"You must be blinded by pride to fight me." said Archer, her voice echoing from the shadows.

"Perhaps, but at least I don't hide, huntress." Hazel said. She had a guess to her identity now. Archer fired another arrow at her shoulder and it hit underneath the shoulder blade. It stung but Hazel left it in for a moment before yanking it out with all her might. The blood poured but she began to heal the wound. Archer's fingers curled around her bow string, confused why her opponent had not yet fallen. The magic this woman possessed appeared to make her invincible. Able to heal blows rapidly.

"Tell me, did the boar give you this much trouble?" asked Hazel with a smile. Atalanta was not amused.

"So you know my name too?" she paused, "Then you must die." Hazel saw her bow shift and stood still, prepared to defend herself.

Archer of Red fired an armada. Hazel made a dome and managed to catch the arrow points in the barrier. She then moved her hand and the arrows began to spin, rotating clockwise in a vortex around her. The friction of the arrows whirling began to suffocate the little air she had. Though it was hard to breathe, she had to control Archer's arsenal.

" _Cefn_."Hazel chanted a reversal spell and the arrows were flung back in Atalanta's direction. Archer fled into another tree as three fell into the clearing after the one attack. Hazel stepped back, now it was time to play her trump card.

" _Rheoil_." Hazel whispered the spell to herself. Soon, the arrows Atalanta had fired earlier had begun to circle through the trees. Hazel made two shields again, each with arrows on her arms forming makeshift crossbows. She began to fire the additional arrows now that she could control their direction. Archer hopped from tree to tree but Hazel kept firing towards the trunks to make them fall. Atalanta was becoming more frustrated, she would not be cornered by this arrogant woman. She stopped and waited for an arrow to fire at her. Once caught, Atalanta shot it back, taking Hazel off balance. The master propelled herself into the air, grabbing onto a tree branch. Only two trees remained rooted as they stood in them, parallel to each other. Both waiting for one to fire.

"You will not win against me." Archer of Red said, but Hazel was merely drawing attention in hope the Black Faction would show themselves. However, they were clearly not coming. It was crunch time, she had to give all her effort now if they decided to let her die.

"Who said I'm trying to win?" she asked.

Hazel fired volleys at the base of the tree Atalanta stood in, and Archer repeated the same action. The trees fell simultaneously as the two women clashed. Hazel made a diamond shaped shield with one arm and ran up the tree as Atalanta fired. Their golden eyes locked, fierce like animals in the wilderness.

She grabbed onto Atalanta's right arm and turned to kick her side, exerting mana to her leg. She fell to the ground as Hazel jumped off the falling tree and rolled away. They stood opposed to each other, a graveyard of logs between them.

Though Atalanta was unscathed, Hazel was feeling weaker. Her leg was bruised with streams of blood running down, and it was not healing. She had gone through battles before and had not reached this point until much later. But, she was not prepared to have only been fighting for a minute or two. This may have been because of Berserker, but she had to keep going, even if he drained her. She just needed to stall for a few more moments, and Atalanta would not wait.

"Before I kill you I must ask, how do you know our names?" Archer of Red questioned, loading two arrows onto her bow. It was now time to finish this battle, if the master's death meant the servant's as well, it was her only option. Hazel put up an arm to project a shield, she also had a question.

"I will, if you tell me who summoned Achilles." Hazel demanded. However, Archer looked away and aimed her bow to the sky, ignoring the request. The silence was unsettling for Hazel, she only prepared a shield for safety.

Before the arrows fired, Rider was thrust onto the ground between them, snapping the trees. He and Berserker were still sparing. Cú stood above him, growling like he was ready to kill. Achilles pushed him off and they locked their gaze with each other, clashing multiple times. Berserker managed to strike his arm and Hazel noticed the blood. Though it was hard to tell she had forgotten that Cú was technically a demi-god, which meant he could injure him.

"You surprise me, beast. I'm actually having fun." Rider said grinning, like the scratch he received was nothing. Cú charged him again as Hazel watched. Archer of Red took the opportunity to fire and Hazel put up another shield. It broke the barrier and the arrow went into her arm. Hazel's breathes were becoming heavier; Berserker was getting more upset which meant he demanded more power; his desire to kill was greater than to listen. Hazel left the arrow in, knowing Berserker's fight was more important. Atalanta's eyes we're fixed on Hazel as the others continued to battle. But suddenly her ears twitched with her bow changing direction. They had unexpected guests.

"Rider!" she shouted and fired blocking a stray arrow. It exploded next to Hazel who guarded herself. Suddenly, one after another arrows flew from behind Hazel's back. She looked but could see no one. Knowing who her father had selected to be the Black Faction's Archer, she expected his arrows could cut through the night too.

"Finally." she whispered. Hazel ducked to allow the arrows behind her to pass freely. However, Berserker was still engaged in battle, ready to fight until there was an end. The arrows were becoming more intense, similar to gun fire. They had to break away before they both got hit.

Hazel could not refocus Berserker from this frenzy. She wanted to reserve her command spells for later, if they switched alliances or he needed to kill another servant. But now was not the time. Hazel had to accept he would not abandon the fight until his opponent was killed.

Suddenly spikes began to rise from the ground. The broken trunks assisted in confining him, forcing Rider to stand down. Berserker screamed, not knowing where they came from, why he was frozen in place. He broke through a few but gradually they began to grow bigger, scrapping the surface of his skin. All he wanted was to finish his battle, why didn't they understand this desire?

The arrows still progressed but Hazel went towards her servant, afraid he had been impaled. The closer she got, the more black spikes arose to separate them. Just the sight of them terrified her. They were familiar in the most gruesome way. She froze in her position, unable to do anything to help.

"Stay back." said the voice from the forest. The crisp tone was one only a ruler would possess.

He emerged from the darkness, dressed in the finest robes riding his horse. His white hair and beard seemed to blend seamlessly into his pale skin. Hazel knew who he was, and was concerned she had just made everything worse.


	9. Chapter 7: Wild Pairs Part II

**Chapter 7: Wild Pairs Part II**

The wind spoke before anyone else. Rider stood alone, with Atalanta retreating into the trees. Hazel remained on Lancer of Black's left, holding her arm with the arrow still inside it to distract her from his presence.

"Rider and Archer of Red, let this be a draw for tonight." Lancer of Black commanded, but Rider was not prepared to quit this battle.

"Why should that be, Lancer of Black?" Rider said, raising his weapon. "I could go all night against your guard dog." Berserker continued to struggle, tossing and turning within the spikes, but his screams only seemed to be noticed by his master.

"He has no mind." Lancer retorted coldly, "His rage will blind his decisions, such as allowing his master to fight another servant." His eyes locked with Hazel. She clenched her fist and bit her tongue, trying to restrain her true thoughts.

"I chose to do so." Hazel whispered, Lancer gripped his weapon tighter. He felt this was no place for her to speak.

"Hold your tongue, woman." he said, bitter.

"She has a voice." Rider interrupted, breaking Lancer's focus, "That woman fought my sister, she has every right to speak for this battle."

Lancer was not pleased by such reckless behavior. He wanted to be in control and this master was prideful of her ability, unaware of her opponent. He chuckled, giving a grim smile.

"Defending an enemy contradicts your code as a hero."

"You weren't here when this rumble started." Rider said, "If her involvement bugged you, why didn't you come to fight?" The two looked at each other but Hazel began to notice her servant breaking the spikes. Lancer again contained him, impaling him through the side. Berserker's screams grew louder, making the ground tremble. She had to calm him down before he went after both parties.

"Cú don't move, it will only be worse!" Hazel shouted, and the earth became still again. It was clear he only wanted to pursue his target.

Rider sighed, annoyed. "He's getting awfully angry, just let us duel…"

"No." Lancer ordered, "I thought you'd be more chivalrous than childish, Rider of Red. But this battle should continue later."

"He's just trying to finish what we started, please..." Hazel began, trying to mediate. In an instant, Lancer grabbed the arrow and ripped it from her arm. She latched onto the opened wound, weakened still and screaming from the pain. Berserker roared louder sensing his master was hurt. The trees began to bend around them. Achilles held his spear close, prepared for the beast to break from his cage.

Lancer glared at Hazel, a cold smile rose from his marble skin. "Pathetic." he said, snapping the arrow in half, "This is why you should stay away from these battles."

"I wasn't going to leave my servant two against one." Hazel said, her eyes still strong even in her state. Lancer raised his hand to strike her face. Hazel steadied herself, not going to fall. But a spear stopped his action, freezing his hand.

Achilles stood between them, his eyes fierce to attack. Hazel had that face many times before, and kept her distance from them. Berserker turned his head, and could see his enemy, but was surprised by his action of kindness.

"If you strike your ally that makes you my enemy." Rider's eyes locked with his opponent who looked down on him from his horse.

"She disobeyed. Just as you are doing protecting her." Lancer said. Rider paused for a moment, but even if defending this master was against his Faction's wishes, his task was to fight servants.

"Either way, I'll destroy the Black Faction!" He went to move his spear but was pulled backward. An arrow hit his abdomen before he could attack. Rider jumped back, feeling the blood drip down his side as with Berserker's attacks. Atalanta had already fled, and with two servants that could wound him fatally, he had no choice but to retreat.

"Damn." he said, "Archer of Black, I'm coming for you next!" he shouted. It was time to make his exit. Rider spun his spear in the air, summoning his chariot in a flash of green lightning. Hazel was impressed by the magnitude of the structure itself. The three horses and wagon it pulled left an indent in the ground. He hopped on, reluctant to flea an exciting match.

"Hey Lancer," he said, standing on his chariot as it rolled away, "This is what a real Rider looks like."

Hazel watched as he disappeared into the sky with a slight smile. Rider glanced back once, his curiosity enticed. He only wished he could meet his master, and that they would have a similar love for battle as Berserker's did.

Hazel pulled herself together, her servant still in distress. All she could do was go to him. But first she needed to remove the spikes.

"I'm at your service, Lord Impaler." she said, bowing before him. There was an edge to her voice that in sighted her upset. Lancer flexed his brow.

"You will call me Lancer of Black." he ordered, placing his lance in front of her. She paused and looked at his weapon, but she had to know the extent of her servant's injuries. She touched the spear only wanting to calm Berserker.

Hazel put up a shield, pushing herself through the spikes, some grazing her skin since her mana was depleting quite rapidly making the barrier weak. Lancer watched her pathetic attempt to go through his maze, but he did not care to stop the foolish mage.

She grabbed Berserker's shoulders once she faced him, being it was the only part she could reach. The armor seemed bigger than before, as though it was trying to protect him. The rough texture felt worse than scraping skin on gravel, and she could tell it was growing. The spikes were gradually digging in, she needed it to stop.

"He won't stop screaming until he's freed. Please release him."

"I don't help beggars." Lancer said coldly. Though Hazel wanted to insult the vampire, she was not going to waste time arguing with him. She began to place her blood on the spikes surrounding Berserker. Weaving her way through the chaotic field as they grinded against her skin. She could tell her balance was suffering in this weakened state, and tripped once or twice as she spread her blood. She tried to push through, knowing she had been through worse.

" _Rheoil."_ she called on her spell once her blood was on each spike. The spikes began to move away from his body as his screams turned into deep breaths. He had cuts all over but seemed to heal them on his own with the Runes on his body. Berserker looked at his master's wounds, where blood had stained her blazer and body. He was concerned and held her bleeding arm tight. She fell into his chest, knowing she had reached her limit for the evening.

"I'll be fine, Cú." she replied and they smiled at each other. She was impressed with his prowess in battle. His agility was unmatched in her opinion. Her eyes were growing heavy, feeling as though she needed to rest. Berserker held her, but he knew who had trapped him and prevented him from continuing his battle. He glared at Lancer, growling like a feral dog as he held his master close. Hazel's true emotions were clear to him, even if she was not conveying them explicitly. He stepped forward but Hazel leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

"Cú he's an ally." Hazel scolded dryly, but Berserker was confused. Though his master said these words, it was clear that Lancer's presence made her uncomfortable. He looked into her eyes, and it was as though they had surrendered. Something was bothering her and he could only infer it was where they were going next. Cú picked up his wounded master, following Lancer of Black at a safe distance as Hazel rested in his arms.

* * *

The church was silent. Only the sounds of wind could be heard wrestling the grass and rooftop. The priest, Shirou Kotomine, sat in the pew waiting of a report. His servant by his side in the moonlit windows.

"Something troubling you, Master?" Assassin asked.

"Rider and Archer are taking longer than expected. Between the two of them, they should have handled the Black Faction's Berserker."

"I'm sure they'll surface." Assassin said, "And for Lancer of Red?"

"He will succeed with his task." Shirou said, content with his decision.

Archer and Rider of Red appeared, and he rose from his seat. Atalanta sat in the beams of the ceiling, whereas Rider remained on the ground.

"You're late." Assassin greeted.

"We got ambushed." Rider stated before disclosing anything further.

"By who?"

"Lancer and Archer of Black." Rider began, straddling over to an empty pew, "But she wasn't happy about it."

"She?" Shirou questioned.

"Golden Fox was what she called herself. Knew our true names just by our appearances." Rider paused, "For a master, she gave sister a hard time."

"Is that so, Archer? A mage took you down?" Assassin said, snidely. Atalanta curled her lips.

"She is a shield maker. Was able to manipulate my arrows with her blood alone. Clever enough to stall before reinforcements arrived." Archer snapped back. She was not pleased with how this battle ended.

Rider sighed, "I wanted to finish the job but that pale skeleton wouldn't let me."

"This is excellent news." Kotomine responded, the others were confused.

"What?" Rider questioned. Shirou smiled politely, he could explain the situation.

"Hazel Matterhorn, or the Golden Fox, is on a mission from the Mages Association to kill Yggdmillennia's Head, Lancer of Black's master." he paused, "She is our ally amongst them."

"You could have told us this." Archer said, flashing her teeth.

"Her alliance to the Black Faction has to be convincing." the priest replied, "Now that she and her Berserker have fought against us, it will only help her credibility." Atalanta was tense with this news. She jumped down from the ceiling, confronting the priest. Rider touched her shoulder, hoping to mediate the confusion.

"How dare you…"

"So they are on our side." Rider said, chuckling, "Too bad, I'd like to finish my fight with him. But I won't mind having another lady to gaze at." He stared at Archer with kind eyes, trying to assure that it would all work out. Atalanta shook him away, unfazed by his advances.

"Stop with your flattery, fool!" she snapped at them both. Rider stepped back, he could only infer why she was upset.

"What's wrong, Archer?" Shirou questioned.

"I almost used my Noble Phantasm on her, and you tell us now she's an ally?" Atalanta said.

"The Black Faction would not have intervened otherwise."

"Archer's right, we weren't stopped in battle." Rider agreed. He and Berserker had destroyed most of the forest, and if it had continued further he would have used one of his phantasms to stop him.

"I apologize for the worry." Shirou bowed, and began to exit the church with Assassin following close behind him, "You two should rest, and we will continue preparations. But when the time comes, please be welcoming to your comrade." He continued walking away, but Archer wanted one question answered.

"I want to know who my master is." Atalanta asked. Shirou stopped before leaving the sanctuary. "Please, there must be a reason why…"

"You will know in time." Shirou said, exiting the church with Assassin without another glance. He was not amused by this, but soon they would know the true nature of his plan. That one less master would be beneficial to their common goal.

Rider and Archer remained. Archer, gipping her bow tightly, was upset by the priest's answer. Seeing how a mage would be so careless, but skilled enough to force the use of her noble phantasm made it clear that she was a master that was not afraid of battle. That supported her servant.

"She showed her face, fought by his side, why can't they?" Archer asked, concerned. Rider thought it may have been more of a code. That she felt she had lost. He had no doubt that without the interruption from the mysterious Archer and Lancer of Black that she could have taken that master down.

"Sis, you fought well..."

"We weren't stopped from using our noble phantasms." Archer shook her head, she felt that there was something missing. That this mage was actually a threat to who summoned her. After fighting Berserker's master, she felt embarrassed that a mage would be able to strike her down. She held her side, to her this master was skilled. She would need to be gone if she did not ally with them soon.

"I want to know everything about that woman, Rider. She and that beast together are a dangerous pair."

Archer had mixed feelings about this. She knew now why her opponent did not try to kill her, but was creating a distraction. However, the Golden Fox did not care to hide like the master who summoned her. There had to be a reason why she was not stopped, why her master wanted this Golden Fox dead.

"Let it go for now, we'll see them again." Rider remarked. It was clear to him that Berserker would keep fighting since that was all he cared for. He would have to face him again, but hoped not to harm his master. This Golden Fox he could respect for assisting her servant in battle, trying to help instead of hide. But he thought their connection to each other may not be as strong as Atalanta perceived. That the members of the Black Faction would kill the pair before they got a chance to meet again.


	10. Chapter 8: The Black Faction

**Chapter 8: The Black Faction**

Berserker carried his master through the trees. He refused to walk on the same ground as the one who harmed him. Hazel slept peacefully in his arms as her wounds began to seal, but the tension only rose in the silence.

Lancer was quiet, glancing back occasionally to assure he was being followed. Now that Berserker was calm, he felt that this war would be easier to win.

"You have nothing to fear, as long as you obey our wishes." Lancer of Black spoke, breaking the silence. Berserker only growled and leapt into a tree that was farther away.

Lancer of Black knew detaining him may not have been the best course of action, however he wanted to test the endurance of this servant. Being a class known for strength, he knew that Berserker was vital to their success in defeating the Red Faction. However, his master had him entranced. He laughed to himself, thinking of how heroes would fall to protect their lovers. He was a man of the land; people did not interest Vlad III unless they were useful, and if this master was key to Berserker's compliance, he had no choice but to manipulate that.

"Your strength is admirable, Cú Chulainn. I hope you continue to prove yourself as you have done tonight." he said, keeping his horse at a slow canter.

Berserker ignored his remark, still uneasy about this servant. They continued through the forest for a few moments before he began to feel a rattling in his arms. Berserker's master was waking, her yellow eyes began to unveil themselves. Her wounds were healed and she lifted her leg to feel it wasn't broken. Hazel turned her head, to see the ground below and chuckled.

"You took the high ground. Smart." she said, grabbing the nap of his neck, "I can walk from here." As she rose up her servant held her closer. They were still alone with Lancer of Black, and he did not want her to risk a fall. She struggled at first but realized there would be no escaping his grasps.

"Okay I'll wait till we get to the fortress." she said, surrendering to her servant's wish. She saw Lancer of Black from the corner of her eye, keeping silent in hope he would not speak.

"You have good control of your servant, Ms. Matterhorn. But you are not a Heroic Spirit. As a master, you must be conservative with your mana." Lancer said, it took Hazel off guard.

"It was two against one." she began, "I'll be careful, but Berserker's odds were better with each of us taking a servant."

"I did not ask for an explanation." Lancer said with a sharp tongue, "If you fall then so does he. You will be seen as his weak point."

Hazel sighed, "I understand that, but I wasn't going to run." There was a pause, and Hazel thought she had won the argument.

"You have nothing to prove to your servant besides that you will stay alive." Lancer interjected, "You are now a part of the Black Faction and Yggdmillennia, Ms. Matterhorn, which means you will cooperate with my demands." He could sense she still wanted to fight, but she had silenced herself. He had just admitted he was in command, which meant Hazel would have to be delicate with her words.

"You will have your battles." Lancer said, "You understand the Red and how their masters operate, that will be to our benefit." Hazel knew a weakness of most mages, and could tell Lancer was promoting her value. Even if it was a trick, she knew that he wouldn't harm them anymore tonight.

"Though mages are powerful, many have not seen battle to this extent." she responded. Lights emerged in the distance, she could see the fortress of Yggdmillennia. It was a bigger compound than she pictured but it still fit her expectation. The outside looked like a gothic castle, one fit for a man rumored to be a vampire. Berserker jumped down from the trees, still holding her close.

"Am I the last master to show?" Hazel questioned as Berserker set her down.

"Minus that of Assassin of Black." Lancer answered, handing his horse off to one of the homunculi. Though she knew the master was dead, she would keep the information to herself.

"Remain here until they prepare a room." Lancer stated opening the doors to the grand hall. The elaborate layout was to be expected, but she was more interested in finding a place to sleep after all the excitement.

Hazel nodded. "Thank you." she said as he disappeared into one of the hallways. She let out a large exhale and Berserker became less tense as well. They waited in the open space, she twirled over the marble floors to entertain herself. It was like something out of an old painting. Though Hazel admired more simplistic things, she could still appreciate the work that went into the detail.

She noticed the various homunculi guarding the doors, but they refused to respond when she greeted them. One mentioned they were young and couldn't talk much, and Hazel apologized for the misunderstanding. She was never a fan of mages who made homunculi, mostly because they looked like dolls to her. Toys to be broken instead of cared for. At least with golems she could tell they were not made to look human, and that made them easier to kill.

But, she heard footsteps coming from the main staircase, darting towards them. They were other servants. Two came forward but one with pink hair seemed overjoyed.

"Me first, me first!" The servant ran to Berserker and hugged him. He was confused why and tried to push him away but then the pink haired boy began to examine him, refusing to leave his side.

"Oh my, you're tall. And those teeth are sharp." Berserker snapped at him and he grabbed onto his armor, unfazed by his aggression, "And what's with this cloak and tail? Are you a magician, or a druid?" he began to touch his tail like it was his own pet, "Rough and hard, maybe you're part lobster?"

That was the last straw. Berserker smacked the lad in the face with his skeletal tail and he fell to the ground. The other reached for his sword, unsure if this behavior would continue. He just wanted to be left alone after his battle. Hazel laughed at first but felt it was best to help the servant off the floor. All the catalysts her father provided were male to her knowledge, but this one seemed to be an eager young fellow with a feminine presence.

"Berserker, relax. He's just curious." Hazel said, helping the boy off the ground. Berserker crossed his arms, looking away from them.

"Sorry, he's not too fond of people." Hazel said, but the young lad still had a smile.

"Astolfo is my name." he responded coming to his senses, grasping Hazel's hands with two dainty palms. "I thought you'd be an old lady from what Archer's Master told us." he said.

"Yeah, good to meet you, Rider." she said and he looked surprised, grabbing her elbows. Hazel made a guess just knowing his name, but he was impressed.

"Do you know our classes?" he asked as she broke away. Like her servant she could only stand people in her personal space for a small period of time.

"I think I can figure it out." Hazel said, and turned to the other servant, eyeing the sword he carried. "You're definitely a Saber." She went over to him and stuck her hand out for a hand shake. He grasped on, reluctant of the gesture. "My father helped provide some catalysts to the Black Faction, so I know a few names." she said, knowing that there were still three servants who she had not seen.

She held his hand for a moment, it seemed he was mute to conversation. All he expressed was a restricted smile. Hazel was curious what land he came from, that would be a start to knowing his identity.

"I'm from London, where's your home?" He paused for a moment then opened his mouth.

"Ger…"

"Saber that's enough!" It was his master. Hazel peeked to look at him and sighed. Though they had never met in person, unfortunately she knew him by name and his work.

"How dare you leave my side without permission?" his master questioned, separating the two.

"My apologies Gordes, they wanted to meet my servant." Hazel said, as Gordes turned with a scowl on his face.

"He has nothing to say to you." Gordes huffed, eyeing the giant behind her. Astolfo was tugging on Berserker's arm and he continued to growl but was tolerating the boy. Gordes chuckled at the sight. "I would expect someone like you to summon a beast." he said trying to get under her skin. It was more of an annoyance to Hazel.

She sighed, "Just look to him as another ally. We are supposed to be a team, remember?"

"Only until the Red Faction is destroyed." Gordes said, turning his back. Saber remained for a moment, this was the first master who made an effort to introduce themselves personally. He appreciated her taking the time.

"Move you idiot!" Gordes commanded, and Saber nodded to her before he followed his master.

"Rider, come here." It was a female voice from the stairs as well. She came out of the shadows. Hazel peeked to see who it was then quickly turned away. Her imp like ears were strange to her, but the smile was more gruesome. She was a female mage that Hazel never wished to run into, not because of her power, but because she was disturbing.

"But master, he doesn't know the castle yet. At least let me show him where to pee!" Rider whined.

"Rider, stop being foolish. And avoid this woman at all costs is that clear?" Hazel observed the look on Rider's face, one that contrasted his happy disposition. She did not look again to face his master. Knowing her interests from reading her record, she did not approve of her actions and wanted to avoid her as much as possible, too.

"Okay." Astolfo mumbled, then grabbed Berserker's hand, shaking it vigorously. "Good to meet you, lobster magician!" Berserker growled and Astolfo ran up the steps, he went to stop and shake Hazel's hand but instead kept going, as though he was in fear of her. Hazel walked back to her servant put her hand on Cu's shoulder who was still growling.

"Let him be, it was a joke." Hazel said and Berserker huffed but obeyed. No one had come yet to provide her a room so it was a pleasant distraction to meet some other servants. Then, there was a clicking sound to their left. Rubber on tile, turning wheels, it was familiar.

"Professor Matterhorn." she heard a voice say. The innocence behind it could only belong to one student. Her wheelchair was being pushed by her servant. Hazel noticed his attire was from ancient times, but would wait for a name.

"Fiore." Hazel said turning to face her. She smiled and hugged her. She had known Fiore since her and Hazel's sister became friends' years ago. Their families had very little conflict but now being her teacher, Hazel was aware of the hardship she went through.

"I'm glad you're here. I knew it was you once we saw the shields. Are you hurt?"

"Healed. I took a nap on the way here." Hazel said, knowing that others must have seen her fight with the familiars watching in the woods.

"I've never seen a combat mage in action like that, it was quite amazing." Fiore said in admiration. Her respect for Hazel was strong; she wished to propel herself as Hazel had done, and in many ways her professor was her role model.

"Chiron, this is the professor I told you about." Fiore said. Hazel was shocked, mostly because she was giving her a title like that in front of a hero's mentor.

"Fiore, please don't call me that." Hazel shunned but Archer put out his hand.

"I'm delighted to meet my master's teacher." Hazel felt humble and embarrassed as she shook it. This was someone known as a master, training the best heroes, to be compared to him was not her intention.

"Thank you for the help back there. I needed it." Hazel said, grateful.

"Of course." Archer declared and they let go as Hazel blushed. She knew who she was in the presence of, and he was on a completely different level when it came to combat. He was one of the three artifacts that was in her basement at home, and it felt weird to hear wonderful stories of his legend and now see him in person.

"Compared to you I'm just a novice, honestly." she said with nervous laughter, "Still learning each day."

"You should never stop." he replied. She wanted to change the subject. She was silent for a moment until Berserker patted her on the back. This servant wasn't a threat to them, but his master was being childish.

"So, is your brother here, Fiore?" Hazel asked.

"Yes, but he retired for the evening." Hazel didn't understand why this was, but knew Fiore's parents wanted her protected. Her brother had prospect as a mage but many still saw her as superior. Hazel thought he was just there to protect his sister, though he could be used as a pawn and even killed just to make her bend. Even if her family was in pristine health Hazel would not want them with. The work she did on missions was something that would traumatize her sister.

"How is Rikki and your mother?" Fiore asked, Hazel had to be honest.

"Rikki is doing better, she wishes you the best. My mother not so much."

Fiore bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

"I wanted to be here. They understood that." Hazel responded. She had a mission in place. She at least knew they were in good hands with Lord El-Melloi II watching them.

"Who is your servant, professor?" Fiore asked. Being she addressed her servant by his true name, it was only fair to give an introduction.

"Well I call him Cú for short…"

"Cú Chulainn, Ireland's Child of Light." Berserker growled which was enough to know the stranger. She could tell who it was as his hand crept around her back like a snake. She swore she could smell blood on his breathe but did not want to see if it was true and looked away from him.

"I must say, you have grown since I last saw you in that picture, Hazel." he whispered.

"We can't stay young forever." Hazel remarked in a snide tone. He glared at her, unamused.

"That was a compliment." Darnic said moving his hand to her shoulder. "Your room is ready, I can show you there." Though she would have preferred to continue the conversation, sleep was still necessary.

"Pleasure talking to you." Hazel stated to Archer. His eyes could see something was wrong but trusted this mage who his master was fond of could handle herself.

"Goodnight, Professor Matterhorn." Fiore addressed as Archer turned her chair.

Hazel chuckled. "Please Fiore we're not at Clock Tower. You can call me Hazel here." Fiore nodded as her servant pushed her away.

Berserker made a point to keep the two separated. He did not want Darnic touching his master because it clearly made her tense. His armor was large enough to keep Darnic away, unable to walk by her side with skeletal spikes. Just as with Lancer they walked in silence before Darnic opened his mouth.

"He follows you closely." Darnic said, observant of her control over this servant.

"Berserker is protective, but it doesn't bother me." Hazel replied dull. "At least I know he is loyal." There was a pause as they walked down the hallway. She continued.

"I'm surprised Lancer intervened. He doesn't seem the type to go out without an army."

"Lancer of Black doesn't need an army." Darnic replied, "He felt it was best to introduce himself, so you'd be more comfortable in this environment." Hazel smirked, if that was his introduction, she wondered what his finale would be.

They continued to walk but Hazel noticed they were going towards the basement rather than into the castle where the bedrooms would be. Berserker continued to follow, looking around at the stone walls. Hazel thought that if Darnic were to corner her, it wouldn't be until she was alone.

"Where are you taking me?" Hazel asked.

"Now that you have arrived, Caster of Black would like a word."

"Regarding what?"

"He'll share it with you." Darnic said, opening the door.

Hazel commanded Berserker to stay back, though he growled she tapped his shoulder. He stopped and remained by the door as Hazel entered the dungeon. But, she could not imagine the sight in her worst dreams.


	11. Chapter 9: Compromises

**Chapter 9: Compromises**

She was scared at first. Seeing illuminated capsules filled with homunculi, waiting to be matured. It was demented to see what looked like bodies to be recycled and restored just for the war. She wandered the aisle, looking at the faces. They were sleeping but she heard one capsule break. She ran to it, looking for the sound, but then stumbled into someone who fell to the ground.

"Sorry." she said and offered her hand. It was a boy, not even a teenager yet. He was in tan shorts and a white button down shirt. Blonde curls scattered on his head. He looked away. Not knowing how to react. She was smiling which scared him a little, people never seemed to be friendly. She noticed his command seals and showed hers, but he still looked away.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Darnic sent me to see Caster." His ears perked up rapidly, he knew who this woman was. In an instant he grabbed her hand and began to run.

"Teacher, she's here!" he said, and began to pull her through the rows of homunculi. Hazel saw the broken glass and one on a stretcher. She knew the sound now but knew that she only had to meet one man. The boy was fast, excited about whatever was going to be discussed.

Hazel chuckled. "Slow down." he was eager, and stopped. She saw a figure that appeared to float off the ground. Dressed in all purple with a gold mask to cover their face.

"Roche please be respectful." Caster of Black remarked.

"Sorry, Teacher." Roche said. Caster turned his face to Hazel.

"You may call me Avicebron or Caster of Black, whichever you prefer." he introduced. Hazel was not surprised by his appearance now, knowing his disdain for the world.

"Pleasure to meet you Caster." Hazel said. She held out her hand but he simply turned his back and began to walk in the other direction. Clearly he hid himself from the world and wasn't fond of people. She began to follow next to him.

"What did you have to question?" Hazel asked.

"After watching you fight I was curious how you healed so quickly." Caster asked. His master walked behind them, his smile was bright now that he was with his master.

"Blood magic from my mother's side." she responded. "I can heal small wounds almost instantly, larger ones take a good night's rest."

"So you are practically invincible." She shook her head to that as they turned down another row.

"I wouldn't go that far." she said, "If I was cut in half or run out of mana I can still die."

"But your endurance in battle is long compared to others." Caster was interested in her mage craft but Hazel was beginning to wonder why he was curious.

"Why are you asking this?" She stopped, these questions had to have a point.

"It deals with teacher's noble phantasm." Roche said smiling.

"Roche." Caster silenced him. He turned away. Hazel crotched down beside him, she appreciated him keeping the mood jovial in this creepy place.

"Is it a giant golem?" she said, her eyes opened with curiosity. Roche nodded with a smile.

"I have found the reactor core, here." Caster stood in front of the homunculus and Hazel took a closer look. He was small with waves in his brown hair, asleep like most of them. But the amount of circuits he had was impressive for something created by a mage.

"He has a lot of circuits already." Hazel remarked, "Sort of jealous."

Roche jumped in excited to explain. "Ms. Matterhorn, my teacher plans to use him as a reactor core, but…"

"Your magic deals with defenses, including healing." Caster cut the boy off. Clearly he wanted to control the conversation.

"Go on, Caster." She wanted a point.

Caster nodded. "If you made a blood seal with this homunculus, the core would be able to heal rapidly."

"Not exactly." she began, "It would be dependent on his survival. A blood pact acts as a curse. The enactor has control of who they pick, but if that pick is killed they also die."

"But if the holder died alone, the other would live." Caster inferred. It was like a master and servant pair.

"Correct." she said, but soon realized what Caster meant. He only wanted to protect the core until his creation was complete. That way, if she died, they could still succeed. It made sense to her why he would find no issue in this, because either way his dream would be realized.

"Look, how long do these guys have? Three years?" Hazel questioned then stepped away from the prisons. "Sorry, I want to live longer than that." Roche ran up to catch her.

"Ms. Matterhorn, your magic could enforce my teacher's noble phantasm." he said. Though this excited him, she saw other intentions from Caster.

"The homunculus has enough circuits, they'll be fine." Hazel said, trying to walk away. This place only upset her. To see how all this energy would be wasted.

Roche continued. "But his golem could be unstoppable. Invincible. The war would be ours…"

"Enough!" she yelled without facing the Master. He was blinded by Caster's work and did not see his final goal.

"Does this place bother you, Ms. Matterhorn?" Caster inferred, standing far away.

Hazel hated to do this, but she thought it would drive the point home. She lifted her shirt and revealed her torso which was completely scarred, like river markings on a map each line was a deep cut, a binding between her grandfather's shield and her magic circuits. This was where her grandfather did his work, embedding a shield to heal toxins and wounds from within at a rapid rate. For many, this is why she was seen as invincible, but they did not know the pain it took, how many tears and screams she held back because she was helping her grandfather with his dream. She just wanted to see him smile, just as Roche wanted to do anything to help the man he called teacher.

"My grandfather spent his life creating this shield." She turned to Roche, still showing the scars. "I was so excited to be his heir that I forgot the pain because it made him happy. Seeing this cesspool of creation that are not going to have a chance against a Heroic Spirit is wasteful. It would be better to use both of your golems."

"They still need a core miss." Roche clarified.

"I know. But ones you pull from the Earth. These homunculi never get to see the good things in the world. Just war."

"They are breed that way." Caster said cold, Hazel put down her shirt. "Their energy allows us to use our phantasms freely, without restriction from a master."

"So this is what we have come to. Quantity over skill?" she chuckled. To think this is how Darnic went about preparing for this war was ridiculous. He wasn't being as strategic as she thought, instead made nameless faces for the slaughter. However, she felt if she left without doing anything, there would be consequences.

Hazel turned back to the homunculus and found an opening in the top of the capsule. She found a piece of stone on the ground and cut her finger open. Then, used her one arm to pull herself up and dripped the blood into his tank. She watched as he inhaled it, and winced at first but soon settled, like a baby being poked with a needle. As long as her blood was in his system he would have a chance to be healed by her.

"There, one time is all he gets." she said, refusing to look at them as she walked away.

"Thank you Ms. Matterhorn." Roche said, excited that they were one step closer to winning the war. But Hazel could see that he was distracted by who he had summoned.

Hazel went to the exit, but she began to feel Caster linger behind her, as though to escort her out.

"Why would you do that after professing your disdain?" he asked, thinking she had already made her decision. But, she had a simple answer.

"War is full of compromises. If an ounce of blood will help the Black Faction then so be it." She paused turning to look at Caster. They were at the base of the stairs to the exit door. She could tell he was almost annoyed by his master who wanted more to be involved. She would rather see golems fighting instead of homunculi. At least they didn't have human faces.

"That boy only wants to please you, just throw him a bone once in a while will ya?" she said, but there was no response, Caster simply bowed his head and left. He was strange but not in a manageable way. He wanted people to stay out of his business, and Hazel would gladly do so from now on.

Berserker was leaning against the wall by the door, waiting for Hazel to emerge. Once she did, he began to follow behind her.

"Sorry to keep you." she said and he huffed. She put her hand on his shoulder. "We'll get to bed soon."

"How did it go?" Suddenly Darnic emerged from one of the side hallways. He was patient to know what had transpired. Hazel began to follow, mostly because she wanted a place to sleep.

"He has a small amount of my blood. That way if he is compromised before Caster can use him or is killed, I can heal him."

"You refused to make a blood pact?" he said, almost upset.

"I don't know much about golems or homunculi but I know they don't live long." she said, "That homunculus has enough circuits, he will be fine until they use him."

"I must say, you have improved in these last few years." Darnic complimented, she was not as gullible as he thought.

"Are you a fan of my work?" she asked. Hazel thought talking about killing rogue mages and creatures was more comforting to him.

"Yes. But you only stayed for four years before researching to become a professor." Many asked that question since they claimed she was good at her job as an Enforcer. But she knew the answer to that.

"I wanted to get out before I was consumed by it. The Mages Association gives you a small window of glory, once that passes then you are nothing to them." she replied, hoping he would believe it. Darnic laughed.

"Is that how you felt when you killed?" he questioned. Hazel had to remain calm. He was a man who could rage a war through words. She had to be careful.

"It is a skill I have perfected, and can execute." she said, "I assumed I was tipped in your favor from the beginning of this selection process."

"A killer can never escape what they are good at. Unless their authority tells them otherwise." Darnic wanted her reaction to the fifty mages that he and Lancer had slaughtered. This was a spin Hazel was prepared for.

"The Mages Association didn't send me because they knew I'd be killed." she began, maintaining a steady pace. "I guess my life was worth more to them than theirs. Yet, they didn't pick me to be a part of their elite team of the Red Faction. They insulted my loyalty, now they will pay for their judgement." Though she said it with vengeance, Darnic felt there was still something that he could not trust. Though he relied on Fiore to be his heir, he saw Hazel as a useful weapon, one he would have to find weaknesses in to control.

"We are glad to see you've come to our side. Here we are." he said politely and he opened the door, letting Berserker enter first.

"Goodnight, Darnic." she stated and locked the door. The room was bigger than the bunker in the woods. It was well decorated. A large bed with four posts and sitting area, and two French doors which led to a balcony. She collapsed on the bed, not realizing how exhausted she was until she closed her eyes.

Berserker stared at his master, motionless as she slept. She reminded him of someone he loved, a woman that was his initial reason to fight. He was content he had found a good partner, knowing that she was not hesitant to go into battle with him. He grabbed a blanket from the foot of her bed and threw it over her body, then went outside to a large tree and sat in it. He wanted to keep an eye on her and keep watch for any servants.

After an hour or two, Hazel woke up disorientated. She looked through the French doors and saw Berserker sitting in the tree. He was staring at the moon like the night before. Hazel watched him, how content he looked in the wilderness. Sadly, a good portion had been destroyed but in the distance they could see a faint battle. Flashes of blue and orange mixing together. It was one they did not have to tangle themselves with. He was sane enough to understand that.

Though others saw a wild beast, she saw him differently. He was a warrior and even without words she could communicate with him. She was glad he was here with her.

He looked at her and smiled. She laughed.

"Hey, you want some company?" she asked and he nodded offering a hand. She jumped, trying to land on the branch but her foot slipped. Her left leg hooked the branch and Berserker pulled her up so they were facing each other.

"You're very agile, I wish I had some of that." said Hazel, making a joke. There was a silence as a breeze went through. Though the lights were on in the mansion she did not care about this fortress. She would prefer the woods anytime.

"Battle was fun right?" she asked, he looked at her arm again, seeing that it was healed. He smiled at that.

"I told you it wouldn't take much. Are you okay? No more wounds?" He shook his head to verify he wasn't injured. Hazel felt he was being honest. That was something she admired in her line of work.

"Good." she said. But she was thinking about what Lancer said and how it had played out. She did not realize how much both of them fighting would deplete her mana. She had a good reserve, and was aware that if they fought she'd need to fight minimally. It bugged her but she knew her servant's wish. She would have to keep her distance at least until she knew the power of the other servants and masters.

She pressed her hand against his chest. Feeling the warmth of it. It seemed to calm him down.

"Berserker," she looked into his red eyes, "You don't like when I get hurt, do you?" He paused a moment then put his hand against hers and pressed on his cheek. He shook his head, feeling his master was not going to be safe if she fought the enemies she claimed to see. She moved her hand abruptly.

"You'll have to get used to that, but I'll stay away from your fights, okay?" She figured a Master of Red would have to turn up other than Kairi. She knew he would not be involved unless there was another master on the battlefield. At this point Hazel began to feel her finger tips becoming numb from the breeze. Though she didn't mind being outside, the bed was still calling to her with the cold breeze turning into heavy wind.

"Well if you are okay I'll go back to bed." She stood up but Berserker reached for her hand. He feared that if they were separated something would happen to her. His instinct could pick up on how Lancer and his master were people she did not trust. He only wanted her safe.

"Again?" she questioned, still tired. But, after how he helped track and fight off Rider, it was the least she could do. His eyes were gentle, the red glow did not intimidate her.

"Okay, we'll stay in the tree, just don't let me fall." she said and Berserker wrapped his arms around her, and his tail latched on like a seatbelt. He was warm and though his physicality was odd, Hazel was not put off by it. If holding his hand and listening to his suggestions would result in him fighting by her side, then that was a good thing. The more relaxed he was the less mana he used.

"This works I guess." she said as she leaned her head in and fell asleep, using his chest as a pillow.

* * *

The dream was bright, Hazel couldn't tell what this place was. There was a castle in the distance. An old stone with moss growing off the side. The hills grand and lush with greens and flowers. She felt a pressure on her chest a hand came around her waist.

She couldn't see him, but knew someone had to be behind her. This affection was strange. But then the other hand presented a flower. A wild lily like she had given her sister. When she grabbed it she could see her hair was no longer black, but a wavy red. This body was not hers, but she could feel the motions.

"Keep it." His voice said and she took hold. She still could not see his face. But something about his tone was comforting.

"As long as I live, I will protect you," he said, "I swear, you will not fear danger."

"No." Hazel said though she did not want to. She was simply reliving this person's memories and feelings. She crushed the flower. And ran toward the castle. He followed behind her.

"Wait." he said, Hazel felt the body stop. She clenched her fists, and turned to him without raising her head.

"If you wish to claim my heart, prove to me you are more than a name, but a legend." she said, cold. Hazel didn't understand.

"I promise, no matter what I must do." he said. "My heart already belongs to you."

"Please, show me how great you can be." Her hand pressed to his bare chest, free of red rune marks. "Goodbye, Cú Chulainn." The woman said, and continued running away. Hazel could feel her pain. She wanted to be with him, but knew it was the wrong time and place.


	12. Chapter 10: Mind, Body, and Spirit

**Chapter 10: Mind, Body, and Spirit**

"Hello love birds!" shouted someone, jerking Hazel and Berserker awake. Hazel fell, catching a branch on the lower part of the tree. When she looked up, she was not surprised by who woke them at the crack of dawn.

"Rider!" she shouted. He was in the tree itself with a huge grin, laughing loudly. Berserker growled, upset the boy startled his master. She let go and Berserker threw the lad out of the tree. Astolfo fell on his rump as Hazel dropped down, landing on her feet. Berserker jumped down with ease and crept behind his master.

"Sorry, but you're late for your meeting." Astolfo said, staying on the ground.

Hazel flexed her brow, "Meeting?"

"Just the masters." A voice said. She looked behind her to see another familiar face. Caules was Fiore's younger brother and often heard about him from her sister Rikki. They were close too, though he tried to keep to himself as much as possible.

Hazel sighed, turning to her servant who was still glaring at Astolfo in anger. "Berserker, play with Rider and don't kill him." He smiled at his master's command though the young paladin was confused.

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?" Astolfo asked, nervous about Berserker's grin.

"Have fun and don't die, that's my motto." Hazel said as she began to walk away.

"Oh you'll need this, it's your uniform." Caules said, handing her the pieces. The pants she wore were still fine, but her blazer had blood stains from the arrows that struck her. She threw it off and grabbed the coat. The fit accentuated her figure, more so than she liked. The white fabric was well made, even with a terrible color for fighting. However, if this had to be her uniform, she would have to deal with it.

The two paced through the hallway, though Hazel kept getting ahead of Caules who tried to lead. He was nervous and unsure if it was his place to talk, making the silence uncomfortable.

"Um, Professor." Caules said.

Hazel chuckled, "Caules, you can call me Hazel." she said with a smile, trying to relax him.

"Right." he said, nervous. He felt strange not being a master, and wanted to avoid upsetting anyone with the title. Hazel had to talk first if she wanted a reaction from him, which meant addressing something personal.

"Say, do you still have a crush on my little sister? I saw flowers you sent." Hazel asked, and his cheeks went red as he started to fiddle with his collar.

"I just hope Rikki feels better. She didn't deserve that, you know?" Hazel smiled at him. He was nervous but she found it funny. Young love always seemed to brew at Clock Tower, and this was no different.

"My sister wouldn't object to a date..."

"Oh, here we are. I'm going back to my room. Bye Professor, I mean, Hazel, uh." Caules ran away before saying anything else, losing his footing on the carpet. Hazel smiled as he disappeared down the hall, escaping her questioning. She sighed before opening the door, twisting the knob with authority.

Hazel surveyed the room. It was like a dungeon with thick stone walls. Only a few windows and candelabras brightened the room to a dim. The long oak table was the focal point of the room. Darnic sat at the head as expected. Fiore was by his side with an empty seat between her and Celenike. The men sat on the other side, Gordes and Roche, with an empty chair between them too.

"You're late." Darnic said dryly.

"Sorry, I wasn't informed until this morning." Hazel responded taking a seat between Celenike and Fiore, with Gordes in her forward view.

"Well, now that everyone is here we can address our concerns." Darnic began, "It appears Archer and Rider of Red followed Hazel last night for scouting purposes. But that does not mean the Red will retreat again." he paused, looking at the outsider, "Hazel, are you aware of Assassin of Black's location?"

"Not currently." Hazel responded. Most of the masters refused to make eye contact with her besides Darnic.

"The master was murdered." Celenike said, handing over the images. "Daggers were used, very gruesomely. It was personal." It was as though she was aroused by what the pictures conveyed. Hazel looked at them. She had seen mages rip out hearts before, but this was different. She was interested in this, mostly because these killings appeared to have no purpose other than to be a game.

"These cuts are precise, areas that bleed out but don't kill." Hazel reflected, "I'd say Jack the Ripper is using this war like a game rather than a wish for the Grail." She pushed the images back to Celenike. It appeared that the rest knew Assassin's name already, being it was a catalyst from her father.

"We'd like to investigate before their next attack." Darnic stated, "If these killings continue it will draw more attention."

"Are you looking to have Assassin join the war or kill them?" Hazel interjected. This was an opportunity to take out another servant. "It's a question of force or publicity."

"I want you to investigate and determine that." he stated.

"Understood." Hazel replied but clearly no one else at the table wanted to discuss anything with her. It was best to be forward now with everyone present.

"Do any of you have questions for me?" Hazel asked bluntly, "I understand I'm an unlikely pick, and would hate to have things kept behind my back."

"What are the identities of the Red Faction servants?" Gordes insisted.

"Who have you encountered?"

"Lancer of Red sparred Saber last night, he claimed to be Karna." he said, Hazel sighed. She now knew what the lights in the distance were, but that only presented another challenge.

"Lovely, another demi-god." Hazel said, "The two are easy. Rider of Red was a student to Archer of Black, Hero of the Trojan War. Archer is a huntress devote to Artemis."

"You refuse to use their names?" Gordes asked.

"Achilles and Atalanta, you couldn't figure that out?" he grunted to her response as Hazel smirked.

"Gordes." Fiore said, trying to mediate.

He continued, "I bet you know exactly which catalysts were picked for the Red Faction." Hazel breathed, answering these questions would testing her patience.

"I worked for the Mages Association and was trying to help so I could keep my position at Clock Tower. It was a compromise that I would provide the rest of my family's catalysts to the Red to avoid further interference. I didn't know who they would pick."

"That's only an excuse…"

"Leave her be, Gordes." Darnic said, and he quickly silenced himself. There was a pause in the conversation, everyone waited for the head of the clan to speak. He swirled his wine thinking about what to ask. "But while we're on the topic, knowing the masters and the Mages Association, what plan would you suggest to win, Hazel?"

"Are you seriously asking her for help?" Celenike said, Darnic glared at her and she bit her tongue. Hazel was prepared to address her personal plan of attack as a way to win trust; she paused, and turned to her student.

"Fiore, what do I say is the key to a strong defense?" Hazel asked. Fiore held her hands close together, she was nervous to speak.

"Mind, body, and spirit?" she replied.

"Yes." Hazel said, "Now I view the servant classes like this. A way to have success is to kill the three servants who amplify these traits." she paused.

"Go on." Darnic insisted, Hazel did so.

"I can't speak fully for the Red Faction but let's look at our own." she paused, "The mind would be Lancer, he controls the attacks and leads the forces. No leader means no coordination. Now the body is tricky, can be someone sly or strong, but since Assassin is not here Berserker would fill that void. Last would be spirit, often the one who exerts the most charisma or passion in battle. To me, that would be Saber."

"What of Archer?" Darnic asked. Hazel smirked.

"He has baggage in this war. He will take care of that before wanting to fulfill his wish." she paused, "If we eliminate those three elements on the Red, then all that remains are servants who want to fight other servants. It will be chaos, but then there would be an end."

"This is your plan, eliminate three and brawl?" Gordes questioned, "How can we trust this isn't a fake strategy?"

Hazel smirked, "Because I know the Mages Association only wants the Holy Grail for power, and these wars should end here before they get their hands on it." Her tone was convincing because it was true, but still she waited for more questions.

"What do you wish for the Holy Grail, Ms. Matterhorn?" Roche spoke softly amongst the rising tensions.

"You don't need to answer that." Fiore stated.

"No I can." she said, "I want to fight and have the Holy Grail gone for good. I have an ego, and I like to challenge myself, but these wars have to conclude so no more have to die." she replied and a laugh erupted between Celenike and Gordes.

"Is this sentiment for your old master, trying to win?" Celenike asked. Hazel thought for a moment about Kayneth, but he made his own demises. Her goal here was to win the war, but first came winning over the enemy.

"No. But to most of you this is an opportunity to make Yggdmillennia a dominate force. All I ask is that you fight." Hazel said, but both laughs still remained.

"So you only desire to fight others with your Berserker? You could have anything and you wish for something childish like that?" Celenike remarked.

"I don't need a cup to make my dreams a reality, I can achieve that on my own." Hazel stated and still there was disagreement.

"I see." Gordes took a breath, coming down from his laugh of amusement. "You wouldn't even wish to improve your family status?" Hazel locked her gaze with him. It was not the place to mention this.

"You get one warning Gordes, stop now." Hazel stated, if he was dumb enough to cross into that territory then he would get a taste of her power.

"Your father must be disappointed in you. How you refuse to care about your lineage, being an heir, seven generations pure. After what happened in your home, you wouldn't even wish to have them safe." Hazel clenched her fists under the table.

Fiore interrupted, "Leave her mother and sister out of this…"

Gordes continued, rising from his chair. "You abandoned your family to be selfish. Travelled the world and fought monsters. Killed mages like ourselves who were ousted from the Mages Association. A woman like you should have submitted to them and realized you're only purpose is to produce more mages…"

Hazel slid under the table tripping Gordes and kicking the seat back. She pinned him to the ground. It happened in a flash, which silenced the room. Even for a large man, Hazel had enough power to hold him down. Her one hand held his arm and the other wrapped around the back of his neck, tempted to snap the vertebrae. Darnic could see the fury in her eyes, it was something that enticed him.

"Professor, please." Fiore begged, she wanted this to be civil but Hazel wanted to be clear.

"You think that tongue of yours is special, Gordes? Whether peasant or mage we all bleed the same color. I am not here to be treated like one of your homunculi, understood?"

"You wreck!" Gordes struggled, "You don't understand how your presence is a concern..."

"I know exactly why it's a concern!" she said, twisting his wrist deeper into his back, "My family has been going between sides for decades but given a choice a Matterhorn would side with Yggdmillennia. The Mages Association can screw themselves for releasing me only when they needed something."

"So revenge is your goal here?" Roche's quiet voice rose, he was curled in his chair unsure where this would lead. This kind of behavior was exactly why he hated humans. They only cared about their goals. Even though her act of blood was appreciated, he could see now her true character was that of a beast.

Hazel looked to Roche, seeing the disappointment. He was just a kid, not used to mages. She was just showing him that people always fight.

"Guess so." Hazel said in a kind tone, "But, even though our ideas our separate, we still have to cooperate until the Red Faction is defeated." Hazel spat out releasing Gordes.

"How dare you speak of cooperation when you attack me like an animal?" Gordes questioned, getting up from the floor. Hazel did not fear him or any of the others. She felt she was in the right.

"I gave you a warning. If there's a next time…"

"Enough Hazel." Darnic commanded. "He understands, take a seat." She knew she had to obey him. She got off the ground and went to sit next to Roche.

"Appears you're only submissive to him, you must be attracted to power." Celenike whispered loud enough for Hazel to hear. That was it and she threw her chair back with enough force that it broke when it hit the wall.

"Excuse me, I need some air." Hazel said, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Celenike smiled, as though she felt more civilized. "With a temper like that, no wonder she summoned Berserker."

"You're all dismissed." Darnic commanded. Hazel was a useful weapon, but if they were not going to see past her former connection to the enemy and understand it as a benefit, they had no need to continue this meeting.

Gordes whimpered, "Darnic..."

"Leave my sights!" he snapped. They all left in a hurry, with Roche sprinting and Fiore being the last to go. Fiore remembered Rikki mentioning her sister's temper with pressure to marry and being the heir. Fiore could relate to it being the eldest. However, she had not seen the rage with her own eyes. Hazel had control in most situations but was sensitive when it was remarks against her character, even when they had some merit.

Darnic noticed Fiore wading back, wanting to be hidden as she left. He was not upset with her, but knew that she would be a good resource. A teacher often tries to restrain themselves in front of students, and it was possible Hazel's connection to Fiore would be one of interest.

Hazel stomped through the courtyard and came upon Astolfo who was hanging upside down. Berserker had used his tail as a rope, swung over a tree branch, and strung Rider up by an ankle. He was swinging back and forth, laughing and annoying the one who was being the rope. However, Berserker's master was not in the mood to laugh.

"Put him down Berserker." Hazel commanded. Without hesitation, Berserker dropped Astolfo on his head. Hazel bent over to make sure he was fine.

"Master Hazel you're back early." Rider said.

"Berserker, Rider's not your toy." Hazel scolded as she pulled him up. "Sorry if he hurt you."

Rider smiled, "It's okay. We had fun, right lobster magician?" Berserker grunted and flicked his tail. They chuckled as a window opened from above, Hazel could only guess who it was.

"Rider, get away from that viper!" she demanded. Hazel was done censoring herself.

"I believe bitch is the word you're looking for, pedophile!" Hazel yelled and Celenike slammed the window shut. Hazel turned to Rider who was shocked by her bluntness, "She's a creep, sorry I can't help you there." she said to Astolfo, but he still had a smile.

"Hey, she's not your master." Astolfo said and pulled Hazel in, "Stop being so intense, will yeah? That big guy has your back no matter what." He ran off and waved. Astolfo reminded her of Waver's apprentice, and she smiled thinking about their interactions and her life back home. But now was time to release some negative energy. She turned to go into the woods and her servant followed.

"Come Berserker, your master needs to punch something."


	13. Chapter 11: New Student

Chapter 11: New Student

Hazel ranted as she paced through the woods looking for a peaceful place to calm down. She slashed down trees by projecting a yellow disc to clear her path. Berserker followed closely, annoyed that she could not simply let the conversation go, or just kill the one who pissed her off.

"Gordes doesn't know anything about my family, he can eat himself to death for all I care. And Celenike, I don't want to imagine what she does to fill her needs, sick is what it is."

She looked to Berserker who glared at her, almost asking if she was done with her whining. Hazel paused, at this point she was rambling so that only the trees would hear. The more pissed she got the worse it would be for them. She was beginning to sound like Waver on a bad day.

"Sorry, I'll shut up. Just had to get away." Berserker stopped her and they saw a beautiful sight. A river, full of stones. The current was fast, gathering speed from a nearby waterfall. It was beautiful, and just the distraction she needed.

"Okay, this works." Hazel said, untying her boots and removing her socks. She stepped barefoot into the water. Berserker watched, confused but somewhat enamored by his master's charm.

Hazel positioned herself on the rocks. She felt the cold water splash against her heels as the movement of the water cleared out the annoyances. She closed her eyes, only using her ears and touch to guide her. This was something she would do back at Clock Tower and at the bunker. Use the environment as her sensory system.

She began to tread, finding her way on the rocks. They were slippery and required great focus. Hazel created two small shields on the bottoms of her feet to help her balance and guide her downstream. This was fun for her, and it gave her confidence in her instinct. She wanted to have focus and listen to the birds in the sky and the soft breeze. She shifted her body slowly on the rocks but was aware of the surroundings. Each step was uncertain with her eyes closed, but that was part of the excitement, not knowing where she would tread. Focusing on the environment rather than the distractions at the fortress.

But then she heard a twitch, it was out of sync with the tranquil sounds and she fired a volley. It fell in the water and when she picked it up she knew it was a familiar, one of Darnic's.

Berserker came over to observe it. He sniffed it and flung it away from the river, disgusted by the smell. Hazel smiled, impressed he ripped it from her hands. He looked disappointed, hungry since he had not eaten for a while. His master thought maybe the fight with Achilles had taken some of his energy. Hazel then aimed for a large bird in a tree and shot it down. It fell in the river and got caught on a rock. She grabbed it and threw it to him with little thought.

"This will taste better." she said. He nodded and began to eat it quickly, returning to his spot on the ground. Hazel watched him and still kept her balance on the rocks. But she could sense incoming forces. She looked and listened trying to think of who followed. After killing one of the familiars, she expected another entrance from the Lord Impaler.

"Practicing balance in the water. That's an interesting technique." The voice came from above. Hazel lost her footing and tripped. But before she hit the water, someone quickly caught her. Needless to say she was impressed with their speed, and she looked. It was Archer of Black. He held her there for a moment, his arms like boulders, and she began to blush from embarrassment.

"I didn't mean to startle you." he said, letting her up.

"Sorry, I thought I was alone." Hazel said, crossing her arms. Berserker could tell that his master wasn't in distress, but he sensed two others coming towards them. He readied his lance, his lips stained with the bird's blood, growling.

"Fiore, he's angry, we should go…"

"Stop being a coward Caules, he's Hazel's servant." Berserker roared and Fiore remained calm, though her brother hid behind her chair.

"He's not backing down, Sis."

"Berserker, let them pass." Hazel said and her servant let down his guard as the two emerged. Caules pushed his sister in the wheelchair toward the edge of the stream. Hazel was confused by the gathering.

"What brings you out here?"

"I thought you would appreciate a lesson from Chiron, Professor." Fiore spoke. Hazel wished she had not seen her lose her temper. She wasn't the mage who egged her on.

"Fiore, I'm sorry if I scared you, but I'm fine now. Plus I'm no match against Archer. It'd be a waste of his time."

"But you always say to visualize yourself stronger than your opponent." Fiore paused, "And he offered."

Hazel sighed, realizing her confidence in teaching just pinned her against a demi-god. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"You managed against Archer of Red, and he knows not to kill you." Caules said.

"Caules, don't state the obvious." Fiore scolded. Hazel thought this would be a good opportunity even if she knew the match was not in her favor.

"My master speaks highly of you, I want to ensure she is receiving a proper education." Archer said, with an encouraging smile. To Hazel, that was more than enough fuel to fight.

"Proper huh?" she said, taking off her jacket, "Let's go, centaur." She threw her white uniform to Berserker who sat by a large tree.

"Shall we fight here?"

"Sure." Hazel said, positioning herself against the current, "Should we have boundaries?"

"Whoever touches the ground first? My master can call the fight." Archer said as Hazel rolled up her shirt sleeves, fabric holes where arrows once were. She knew that he would not go full force on her, but she would have to push herself to match up to him.

"Fine by me." Hazel said, and looked to her servant, "Don't worry Berserker, this is just for fun." There was a pause as they positioned themselves, facing each other with the intent to brawl.

"Are you familiar with Pankration?" Archer asked, she chuckled. The technique was known to her.

"Hit and wrestle until a winner remains?" Hazel said, readying her fists, "That's just my style."

"Begin." Fiore said, and the battle was in motion.

Hazel took the defensive first. She felt he would hold back knowing they were not on the same level. But, this could play to her advantage, knowing he would control his punches. She let him hit first and definitely felt it through her body. She dodged the next few until she found an opening and spun his wrist, putting it behind his back with her left hand holding tight. She went to hit his face as he turned, but he caught her hand with little effort.

"You strike from behind." he noticed, "There's no honor in that."

"I know, but it's how I was taught."

"Then a coward trained you." Chiron said, and threw her over his head with both arms, easily escaping her hold. She saw this as an opportunity to escape for a moment. While Hazel was in midair, she used her right leg to sideswipe his face with all the bare strength she had. Archer let go and Hazel steadied herself on the rocks. This fight was one where he was trying to teach not injure.

Her barefoot was bruised and sprained without having proper footwear in the water. Looking at his eyes she could tell he wanted to see more from her. He wiped the blood from his lips like it was only a paper cut. She wanted to be fair in this fight but it was clear to her that if this match were to continue, she would need a boost.

"I guess you can call them cowards, Archer." Hazel said, "But I must ask, do I have permission to use some reinforcement magic? Otherwise I'll forfeit now."

"Permission granted." Archer allowed it, he was curious too about her prowess, and appreciated her following the rules. But it appeared mages often relied on magic to carry them in battle, and he wanted to see her true power.

"Excellent." Hazel said and her body glowed yellow, a side effect from the experiments. Her crest was visible through most of her upper body and the top of her legs. Broken in segments so that if one part was lost, the lineage and crest would continue. She healed her injuries and was ready to go.

He came at her again, but this time she boosted her mana. She would refuse to use shields, trying to stay true to the fighting style. Hazel caught his fist as water splashed around them, creating a cannonball effect. Now that he had agreed to this, she had a chance to fight him face to face.

They began to box, Hazel again took a defensive position only striking when she saw openings. Though Chiron landed some good hits, she could heal them enough to stop the internal bleeding. She just needed an edge in this. She noticed his position. He was moving in one direction, flowing with the current instead of against. She had an idea.

He went to punch again and she slid between his legs. She was behind him again but used her foot to spin him in her direction. She then delivered an upper cut as he was unsteadied. Hazel was proud of herself. She let the river carry her and latched onto his tail, and he fell in the water on his side. She stood over him, holding his tail, proud that she pinned him down.

"I'm told a horse's tail is necessary for balance." Hazel said. Archer smiled, and she realized she had fallen into his trap.

"As are the legs."

"Dammit." Hazel said, and he kicked her off to the side, flinging her into the tree which Berserker sat next to. She knew she would lose from the beginning, but clearly he wanted to explain something else beyond this.

"You did well, professor." Fiore complimented.

"Don't praise the loser, Fiore." Hazel scolded.

"You still hold back." Chiron said, and offered his hand to help her up. Hazel took it, rubbing her back which hit the tree. She would walk it off, but went to grab her boots which Berserker handed to her.

"I usually was told to kill." she said, struggling to move the socks over her wet feet, "I have to restrain myself now."

"We should be going before they search for us." Caules commented, and once Hazel had her boots on they began to stroll through the woods, back to the fortress.

Berserker remained close to his master, but this servant did not concern him. He knew that Archer could easily kill his master, but he would have taken the chance during that quarrel. He could trust these people for now because his master was put at ease.

"What do you teach?" Chiron was asking many questions as they wandered back, but it did not bother Hazel. The difference between he and Caster was that Archer was not looking to gain something, other than knowledge of another ally.

"Shields and self-defense in modern society." He looked confused by that, and Hazel felt it best to explain before he questioned again.

"Cowards still exist and weapons are more accessible. The Mages Association tries to hide the existence of magic, which means that if students are robbed at knife point or in another situation, they are told to use magic to kill. I want them to defend themselves without magic first, so they don't have to jump into the habit of killing someone. I train them to escape more so than to battle."

"So that's why you strike like a thief?" she sighed to that comment.

"I strike like a thief when I want to escape. When my opponent can see my eyes, then they know I'm serious." Hazel said.

"Then why did you not stray from that fight with Archer of Red, if you teach how to escape?" She hoped the questions would stop, they were getting into a conversation that she had to lie about.

"I want Berserker to know he can count on me. That I am strong, and will at least attempt a fight before escaping."

Chiron shook his head to the comment. "You have nothing to prove to us. You summoned a Heroic Spirit, they would not accept if they saw you as unworthy."

"I don't know. Are you happy with me Berserker? " She looked to her servant who handed her the uniform coat which he had used as a napkin for his face. She chuckled at the blood stains, it made the jacket better in her opinion.

"You started right with the current but then chose to take the point of less advantage."

"I was told not to start a fight from behind." she said, "You're one of the last people I should anger even when most of the masters hate me."

"They look at casualties." Fiore interjected, Hazel and Chiron turned to her, almost forgetting she and her brother were there.

"How do you mean, master?" Chiron asked, but Hazel knew.

"The fact that you strayed from them. That you've killed members' on missions..."

"Fiore, let's not mention that here." Hazel said, nervous about Archer's reaction.

"Sorry." Fiore said, "I hope they see you had to do that so you could be where you are now. What I admire is that there is little prejudice in your teaching unlike my other professors. You treat your students like they all have potential, but are realistic. Focus on the humanity of fighting rather than the selfish side of it. I…look up to you."

Hazel knew that Fiore had issues within her family, and often spent classes talking about her students' lives outside of Clock Tower as much as fighting. There was a pattern, which many of the eldest were taught early that research had to be their focus, and the youngest were kept at the wayside. The time spent with their families, if any, was never in a loving environment. It was constant lessons about magecraft. It made Hazel upset, but this made her feel like her teachings were not just punching students as Bram insisted. Fiore was someone she refused to lose in this war, even with her mission, she was still her student no matter the faction.

"Thank you." Hazel responded, "But this is the side I was chosen for, it's the side I will fight with. Darnic knows that." There was a pause in the conversation, Hazel had dodged questions about her past. She knew out of all the servants, Archer would be the one with the sharpest eye. She had to prove she could be trusted, that Fiore would never be a target for her.

"Your eyes were like Rider of Red's, focused and full of excitement." Chiron said, it took Hazel out of thought, "But you still hold feelings for others when you fight."

"That's why my family isn't here." Hazel explained, "If there is nothing I can do for them I shouldn't keep them close." She realized after she said it that it could come across as rude.

"That's not an insult to you, Caules." she remarked.

"I didn't say anything." he said, oblivious to the conversation.

"But you were thinking it." Hazel paused, "Has my sister written back to you?" she wanted to create a diversion before they continued talking about her. They were now on the main lawn of the fortress.

"Will you stop that?" They all laughed, especially Fiore. Berserker even gave a grin.

"Your face is red brother." Fiore said with a laugh. They continued to bicker amongst themselves. It reminded Hazel that it was around the age of 20 when she left to travel and work as an Enforcer with Bazett. She didn't get to spend much time with her sister in the garden that she loved to plant. It was moments like this that she hoped to regain after the war.

"I would like to ask a favor of you, Hazel." Archer of Black said, breaking her from thought again.

"What is that?"

"Leave Rider of Red to me." he asked, "I understand him as a student. He will want to finish his fight with Berserker but..."

"I get it." Hazel stopped his ranting. She was not going to get between a teacher and his pupil. "Berserker wants to finish his fight too, but I'll keep him away. We haven't seen their Berserker yet so you can take him for sure, right Cú?"

"Hazel." The soft voice resonated. It was the little golem maker who appeared from nowhere. Berserker stood tall but Hazel signaled for him to relax.

"Roche." Archer acknowledged. His eyes were focused on the ground, not wanting to look at anyone directly.

"Darnic and Lancer want to speak with you." Roche said. She went forward and Cú followed. The boy was shaking and Hazel could only guess it was because of Berserker.

"Do they want to see me alone?" she asked Roche, knowing he was uncomfortable.

"Mhm." he said. Hazel paused and Berserker growled, fearing that she would only be furious like before, or be hurt. She had a bad feeling about this too, but whatever was to be discussed would not affect him.

"It's okay Berserker. I'll be fine, just hunt for some birds okay?" she said and he huffed, "Relax, I won't be long." She told him and he began to wander back into the woods. She trusted he would return so it didn't bug her. But she had to say something before going.

"Thanks for the lesson, Archer of Black." She offered her hand and he shook it.

"Please, call me by my true name." he said. Hazel let go of his hand, and he walked away with a courteous smile as his master waved goodbye. She felt giddy that he would allow her to use his true name. It was nice to be in the student role again, but knowing that she had respect from Archer's master and him only made her nervous about what Lancer of Black wanted to discuss.


	14. Chapter 12: Checkmate

Chapter 12: Checkmate

The halls seemed quiet as the two walked. Roche looked extremely uncomfortable, crossing his arms behind his back and avoiding all eye contact. Hazel was thinking after what happened at breakfast that Lancer wanted to assert his authority. She had to remain relaxed being he would least expect it.

"I'm sorry." Roche peeped out. Hazel's ears perked up, confused.

"For what?"

"Asking about your wish." he tensed up, unsure what she would do.

"Hey Roche," Hazel said, "I started that fight, you had nothing to do with it."

"But if I didn't ask…"

"You had a right to. The rest were probably thinking it."

They kept walking until he stopped in front of a door. The hallway was on one of the top floors, vacant from what she could tell. He was still quiet, probably anxious to get back to his workspace. But Hazel was curious if his servant had taken her advice.

"Say, has Caster looked at your golems yet?" Hazel asked, her hand resting on the door knob.

Roche looked away, "Teacher is busy."

"Well, after I'm done here I'll pay you a visit. I don't know much about them, you can be my expert." Hazel said with a smile. Roche wasn't sure how to react. That morning she pinned down a grown man, and now she wanted to see his shop.

"Oh…I guess." he said, slowly turning his back. It was a promise that many made to him, one that would always be broken.

"Thanks for the escort, Roche." Hazel said as he walked away, eager to get back to work.

Hazel opened the door into a large room. There was a fireplace that brightened the space with two chairs parallel to each other, and a chess table between them. Even with the light of the fire the drapes remained closed to the glass balcony doors. Lancer of Black sat in one chair with Darnic standing next to him. She waited by the door, but could tell there would be more to this meeting than a slap on the wrist.

"Have a seat, Ms. Matterhorn." Lancer offered, and Hazel walked over to sit. There was a pause as Lancer requested a bottle of wine, which Darnic grabbed. They waited but Hazel wanted to have an idea of what would be discussed.

"Is this about what happened at breakfast?" she asked.

"Yes," Lancer replied while Darnic poured his glass, "You said you'd be willing to investigate Assassin. We'd like you to take Fiore and Archer, and take care of the problem." Hazel was confused. She excepting a sharp tongue like the night before, but he didn't mention Gordes or her behavior.

"Understood." Hazel said. If that was not a concern to him it would not be discussed, and she could handle a mission away from the fortress. Darnic offered her a glass of wine, and she held up her hand to gently push it away.

"You refuse to drink my wine?" Lancer questioned.

"I only drink what I pour myself." Hazel answered. Too many missions she had been poisoned, and would not drink until the host had taken a sip. Lancer spun his wine inside the glass, now was time to reveal what he and his master knew.

"Clever," he said, "Is that why the Mages Association sent you to kill us?"

Without warning, Hazel felt something go through her side. The pain was similar to what she felt with Berserker's armor. There was a spike protruding from her right side. She didn't understand, Darnic and Lancer were both facing her, there was no one else in the room. Lancer of Black had a grim smile as he set down his glass, enjoying this moment.

"Once you touch my lance, there is no way to escape my grasp." Lancer said, "Darnic told me about your shield. I'm curious to tests its limits."

"I've…had worse." Hazel said, "You're not the first man…to impale me." The spike grew bigger through her side and she held her tongue, trying to be keep this conversation between the three of them. She had no choice but to cooperate.

"Idiots." she said, watching the blood flow down her body. "I thought you would prefer an honest liar, Lancer. As long as the rest don't know, I'll do as you say."

"And of the Grail?" he asked.

"What I said about the Holy Grail is true, I want nothing but to see it destroyed." Lancer moved quickly. The point of his spear was pressed against the skin of her neck. One wrong move and she would feel blood run down her chest. She tried to stay still, unable to heal the wound quickly with the spike inside her.

"What you want doesn't matter here." Lancer said.

"Then say it." Hazel said, "I prefer men who get to the point." He used his lance and stabbed her shoulder, cracking the bone beneath her skin. She screamed, even the shield she placed shattered on impact. But the sounds she made wouldn't be heard, not even homunculi surveyed the area. She was trapped until they let her go.

"Good." Lancer said, smiling with pleasure as he released his weapon. Hazel began to heal her shoulder. He paced around her chair, explaining his plan.

"Berserker and Archer are the only members of our faction with divine origin. I want to ensure they remain alive to handle the other demi-gods of the Red Faction." he paused, "You control him well, even now he has obeyed your command." He stopped to face her directly, "But, once the Red Faction has been eliminated, I will be merciless to attain the grail, starting with your hound."

"How kind of you to warn me." she said, as the bone underneath her skin began to work back into place.

"I expect cooperation from now on, otherwise." The spike grew bigger and she let out a short scream, he only smiled at her pain. "You are excused then. Archer will find you later to depart." With a move of his wrist the spike vanished. She slumped into the chair, healing as fast as she could as he left the room. In many respects she should have been dead, but he seemed to stab an area that could be sealed quickly. She became so focused on healing her wound that she forgot she still had company.

"Here, change your clothes." Darnic had a full set ready, as though he knew the outcome ahead of time.

"I'll wait until you leave." she said, wanting to change in privacy. She sat in silence and Darnic watched as her wound disappeared. When in one area it was easier to focus her mana to heal. Multiple stab wounds required different, dark magic.

"You heal without incantations?" he asked. Hazel began to stand, now that her side was no longer bleeding.

"You get stabbed enough times, your body builds a defense." she said, and leaned over the fire place.

"But that does not protect you from the Mages Association." Darnic said, walking towards her, "I heard your credentials will be revoked if you don't return successful." Her back was turned to him, unsure what his next move would be.

"I suppose you know how that feels?" she questioned, hoping to investigate.

"You said yourself they only give a small window for glory." He was close now, she could feel his breath on her neck. "I'm sure you know about my downfall. How I was humiliated, praised and then discarded." He pressed his hands against her arm, she stood still, hoping he would say something vital. He was just another creep, she could handle it.

"That's why you built this clan, right? To stand against the forces that dragged you down?"

"You should know, Hazel, that after your father and grandfather helped me gather catalysts, any Matterhorn is welcome here. But you refuse to submit, I'm curious as to why?" Hazel projected a shield, pushing him away.

"You're too close." Hazel said, she turned to face him, her shield still glowing. "You must go insane looking at it. The Grail is within your reach and yet you can't use it. My grandfather used to respect you, but over time you mocked him for raising a family, growing old and dying with a smile on his face. I feel sorry for the hollow man you've become. Were all the lives you took to keep yourself young worth this moment?"

He broke her shield and pinned her to the mantel. For some reason she couldn't move, it was as though her body was paralyzed. Darnic had casted a spell, immobilizing her so all she could do was speak. He leaned in, pressing his cheek against hers. He knew he could do worse, but there was time to torture.

"You have the audacity to stand up to me? Still a foolish child." he whispered in her ear, "I don't care who has to die, even if it be my own clan. The blood that I spilled with those worthless mages was only the beginning to reach my finale."

"I'll give you a finale. You can rely on that." Hazel said, and he pressed his hand against her throat. Her body was still stiff, unable to move.

"All of your words are only air to me. You overestimated, Hazel. Now you'll know your place." She was frozen there, unable to breathe but she could see his eyes. They were familiar to Kayneth's, cold and determined. He wanted to kill her as much as she wanted to kill him. She had no choice but to call for help.

 _Berserker, come._ She thought aloud trying to reach him. Hoping he would come to her rescue before she lost consciousness.

Darnic only smiled, "Your Berserker doesn't care about you. I thought the Golden Fox would be a challenge but…"

In a matter of seconds the glass doors opened. Sunlight burst through the dark room as her servant charged through and separated her from Darnic. Berserker pinned him to the ground, flashing his teeth at the mage who went after her. For a moment, she thought to end it here. All Cú needed to do was snap his neck, and they would be dead. It was too good of an opportunity, she had to use it.

"Cú, ki…ll…"

Before she could give the order, three spikes burst through her torso. All through her abdomen, but they were bigger than before. She fell on the floor and her servant glanced at her, perplexed by how she was taken down with no weapon near her.

"You really thought I'd leave my master unattended?" Lancer said as he appeared, standing over her. He was only in spirit form, still watching the conversation until he needed to participate. Berserker refused to let go of Darnic, but knew how it felt, the pain she was in. He couldn't kill and help at the same time.

"Let go of him Berserker, or I'll tear her apart." Lancer threatened. Berserker saw Hazel, coughing up blood, squirming on the ground like a dying animal. He couldn't think, he just wanted to kill them, that's what his master wanted. But her eyes were fading, he could feel her will to live be stronger than her mission.

"Berserker, not…yet." Hazel said and he hesitated, looking at the mage, his devious smile revealing itself. Berserker roared in his face, but he obeyed his master. Lancer released the spikes as she began to heal. Berserker cradled his master by the fire, as Darnic and Lancer stood by the door.

"We can continue this once the Red Faction is destroyed." Lancer said, "But know that patience is thin for rebellious souls." They left, pleased that they had won this round of negotiations. Berserker cradled Hazel, resting her head on his thighs. She touched her fingertips in the pool of her blood. If she would survive being impaled, she had to use another trick.

Hazel had other methods besides the shield to heal, and she had to use a different spell for this injury.

" _Edau."_ she whispered. She began to use the blood like thread, sewing it back into the flesh that needed it. Berserker watched, this was a dark magic but one she controlled with little effort. The flesh began to bind back together, as the blood on the floor faded until none remained. It was considered against natural order to place something back that had been lost, but the blood was always fresh in these situations that the rule never seemed to apply. She sealed the wounds, but healing this much twice in one day was draining.

Cú helped to lift her off the ground after a few moments of laying down. She was able to walk but still was a little light headed. She sat in the chair next to the fire. Darnic had set her clothes on the chess table. She knew she would need to change, avoid any suspicion of what happened. Her uniform from this morning had turned crimson with all of her blood, and she didn't want to spend any more time here.

She began to take off her clothes as her servant looked away. No one could see them unless on the highest floor. With each piece she removed she put it into the fire. She did not want to leave evidence behind, especially if they came back. After a moment she only had to put on the white jacket. She lifted the coat but there was something stuffed inside it. She felt the pockets and inside the right was something familiar.

The texture and color. A long silver earring. It was Bazett's, the one to match her own. She held it tight, silent. He would do this to get the last laugh. Hazel knew what had happened to her, and had no doubt Darnic played his part in her death. Berserker stood by the fire but could see his master slowly curl into herself, restraining her tears. He was unsure how to comfort her, but after a moment she pulled it together.

Hazel bent over to the fire and sanitized the needle. She poked the earring through her other ear lobe. Though warm it was nothing compared to what Lancer had just done to her. But having her earrings united again, it felt like she had found something close to her. The balance was beginning to tip back to normal from the dark places she had been, even if only slightly. Darnic expected her to be furious, which she was; but, Darnic was only adding more fuel to a death Hazel was sure to witness.

"Cú," she said, looking into the fire, "We have to stay unnoticed for a while. Do as they say. Men like that don't care about killing, its sport to them. Any move against them and they will kill me or you. Do you understand?"

He brushed her hair behind her ears so he could see both of the earrings. She turned to him and held his hands then brushed them away. This whole war was just a game and she was simply a reckless pawn to Darnic and Lancer. She had to follow through until she could seek an opportunity to kill. They felt they had trapped the wild mage, knowing that everyone would turn against them if they found out her mission. But she was certain she could succeed with her servant by her side. Now she only had to play along until the opportunity presented itself, and trust Berserker would do the same.


	15. Chapter 13: The Little Golem Maker

**Chapter 13: The Little Golem Maker**

"Master Hazel!" One of the homunculi yelled. She had just walked onto the courtyard with Berserker, but at this point whatever it was wouldn't be anything compared to what Lancer did.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"There's a bear by the front entrance." he said and she darted to see, eager to catch it. When they got to the entrance, other homunculi had gathered. It was a large brown bear, with a purple wound through its heart. Hazel looked at Berserker who was smirking, proud of his kill.

"It's dead. Nice work, Cú."

"What should we do?" One of them asked, there were five in total who gathered, all homunculi soldiers.

"Eat it." Hazel said and all of them stepped back, unsure what needed to be done.

"How?" one asked almost scared. Hazel realized that what they knew was limited, but there was more than enough people to help cut it apart, and she didn't mind the distraction.

"Mind if we share?" she asked her servant first, and he nodded, "Here, I'll teach."

Hazel began to cut the hide off the bear as her servant gathered some wood to start a fire. Berserker lit it and it began to grow in size until the tips of the flames almost touched the tree tops. Because of the curse from his spear, she left the heart and the meat around it untouched. Every step of the way the homunculi observed, some even joined in curious about what she was doing. It was a new skill to them and they wanted to take in what they could. Two found a grill to set the meat on along with seasonings and utensils.

They placed the large pieces of meat on the grill, and Hazel made a shield to condense the flames and cook the meal faster. After waiting for it to completely cook, she began to cut it up in reasonable portions.

"Thank you Ms. Matterhorn. This is wonderful." One said and they all proceeded to thank her.

Hazel chuckled running the knife through, "You haven't tried it yet."

"But you showed us something new. Our creator doesn't take time to teach." She wasn't surprised that Gordes paid little attention, but knew that like the golems they were just made to be destroyed. However, if their lives would be short, they needed to find some enjoyment.

"You're part of this war as much as the rest of us. You all deserve some attention." Hazel began to yell, inviting the others to have at least a bite of the meat. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and encouraged others to join. However, the smell of the meat had caught the attention of one of the servants. Hazel could see his white hair from her peripheral.

"Hey Saber, would you like a piece?"

"Um sure." he said, and she handed him a plate full. He seemed to enjoy it and they sat in silence for a moment as Berserker sat by the remains of his kill scavenging other parts of the bear.

A gust of wind blew, shifting Saber's hair and revealing his secret. Hazel saw the mark of a leaf on his back. She knew his identity now and smirked.

"You know hair doesn't count as armor, right?" she said, "Your weak spot is open, dragon slayer." Saber eyes looked shocked as his hair fell back into place.

"Do you know my name?"

"Why you're a legend, Siegfried who slew the dragon Fafnir, praised through the Rhineland for he invincibility, strength, and many good deeds that came from his selfless heart." She was talking him up hoping to get a positive reaction, but there was no expression on the warrior's face.

"Oh, that's right." he said dryly, continuing to eat. Hazel was generally good at getting a read on people, but this knight was extremely bland.

"Saber, don't eat that, it could be poisoned!" shouted Gordes, stumbling down the stairs. Hazel knew he wouldn't kill her after what happened, but she was curious about one thing.

"Hey Gordes, Do you ever feed them? Your homunculi seem awfully hungry."

"Don't tell me how to treat my creations." he bolstered, "Back to work, all of you!" In a moment all of them began to leave for their posts, looking back at her. She only looked at the ground, it seemed they knew their lives were short, but did not get to experience simple things and enjoy their value.

Hazel smiled, "Food helps mana, and high moral means they will want to fight."

"They only need to know what I want them to know. Come Saber." Gordes turned his back and his servant followed. Hazel stood by the meat as Berserker still feasted on remains. She enjoyed being helpful, meeting new people. Then she remembered a promise that she made earlier, before she became Lancer's personal shish kabob. They wouldn't leave for another hour, so it was a perfect time to chat.

"Cú, I'll be right back." Hazel said, grabbing two plates of meat.

Hazel knew where to find Caster's workshop, and assumed Roche's would be close by. She entered a stone courtyard and saw a flash of blonde hair. When she looked again, Roche had went into the workshop. She kicked the door to knock, holding the two plates of food as she peeped through the small window.

"Hey, Roche? Are you hungry?" Hazel asked. Roche pulled himself away from his work.

"Hazel?" he questioned, opening the door only a crack.

"You look surprised, I told you I'd stop by." she said with a smile, but in an instant there was a presence behind her. Berserker stood growling and Roche shut the door immediately. Hazel turned to her servant who had stopped vocalizing.

"Berserker, this is Roche, he's good." Berserker was spectacle now. It seemed when they were separated, that was when his master would get hurt or frustrated. He wanted to prevent that, keep her safe. Hazel could tell that from his eyes, they were strong and intimidating. But she made a promise to the little golem maker, and was going to follow through with it.

"Berserker, stay here." she commanded and he sat crossing his legs and arms, upset.

Hazel entered the workshop. Lanterns covered the walls with light along with various golem skeletons. There were a few moving, assisting their creator in building another companion. Roche was focused on his work at the table that he did not notice someone enter. Hazel slipped the plate of bear meat to him, still holding her own.

"If you're scared of him, he'll just be scared of you." Hazel said.

"Teacher knows more if you want to learn. I'm busy." Roche said, focusing on his project. She didn't want to be a distraction, it was just her curiosity.

"May I watch?" she asked, and Roche nodded.

Hazel leaned on the wall, eating her bear meat. She was content just watching him work. It made her think of Lord El Melloi II, the countless nights she would go to his office and find him asleep on his desk from researching. She knew the hard work it took, but seeing it happen was different. She could see how Roche was being delicate with the core, and once it was attached the golem rose from the table, immediately going to grab supplies. It impressed Hazel, how a boy this young was already an accomplished golem maker.

"Nice work." Hazel said, walking away from the wall.

"Compared to Teacher's they are nothing special." he said, grabbing the plate of meat. Hazel was standing at the end of the table now seeing if he would take a bite. Roche looked at it, knowing he could not remember the last meal he had that was prepared by a person. It was like a present that he wanted to cherish. She was curious, the way he avoided people was not normal for his age. He seemed happiest working on his golems, in a space away from reality.

"People don't talk to you much, do they?" Hazel asked as Roche took a bite, the meat was tough but flavorful. Something he would not try himself.

"I've been around golems my whole life. They are more friends to me than people, or parents." he said quietly. Hazel crossed her arms, unsure what he meant.

"Your parents didn't raised you?"

"I can't remember what they look like." he said, and there was a pause. Hazel heard the story many times. How mages had children just to transfer their family crest, not to love and care for them. She got lucky with her family, but it was sad that he didn't see the outside world, and simply made his own to cope.

"But if golems get destroyed, I can always make them better." Roche said, smiling big. Hazel gave a grin too, understanding his sentiment.

"Yeah, people are hard to change." Hazel said as Roche finished his food.

"Why do you talk to me?" he asked, curious about her answer. Hazel had her moments of being crass, but she always wanted to help. It was a shame that Caster didn't embrace his master's joy with golem making, only ignored it.

"Because I gave a bad first impression, and wanted to apologize." she said, "I hope you can live beyond this war and do what you want, not feel like this is your only purpose."

Roche looked away from her, "I want to see Teacher's world. He says it will be paradise, that all the bad people will be gone." Hazel sighed. She was one who encountered many rouge mages, wanting to find truth and salvation, but she could not embrace such a belief, and only found it amusing.

"Paradise is different to everyone." she said.

Roche tilted his head, "What do you mean?" Hazel thought for a moment, but he was a mature boy, she could speak with him like a student.

"Salvation is a personal desire. A doctor's paradise is different from a serial killer's; personally I think a paradise for everybody is hard to imagine when people in humanity are selfish."

"What's paradise to you?" Roche asked, and Hazel knew the answer plainly.

"Reality." she said, and Roche scratched his head, curious, "I know I will find peace in life and strive for that; because, I can't bet on what will happen after I die, only what will happen when I'm alive."

"That makes sense." Roche agreed. She was happy he was opening up to her, and was glad to clear the air with him so he wouldn't fear her.

"I'm sorry you've only seen the bad side of humanity." she said.

"If it helps, this is the longest conversation I've had with a mage." he said, "No one ever wanted to know about me."

"Well, I'll be your friend if you let me?" Hazel said, extending her arm out for a handshake. He hesitated, this was the first time anyone offered to be his friend.

"Roche, I need you at once." Caster's voice echoed through the workshop, and Roche immediately jumped from his seat.

"Coming, Teacher." Roche yelled, leaving without a goodbye. Hazel knew that Caster had no interest in teaching, opposite to Archer of Black, but the boy was enamored with his hero.

She left the workshop, seeing that Berserker was still by the door. They began to walk together as she thought. Roche was a good kid, smart too, but he lacked the confidence when talking to others. She hoped nothing would happen to him or his bright spirit, and that he could one day trust her.

"Hazel." shouted Archer. Hazel had thought there would be more time before their departure, but Assassin was a few villages away.

"Leaving now?" she asked and Archer nodded. They walked over to the van where Fiore, Caules, and other homunculi were already prepped to leave. Hazel wasn't sure how Berserker would react, but she had already agreed to this mission.

"Berserker, I have to go away again." she said as he began to growl, grabbing her wrist. Hazel knew why he was protective, but the others didn't.

"Cú. I'll be back before morning, you don't have to worry." Hazel insisted but her servant wouldn't let go.

He pushed her behind him, growling with his spear out. He wanted to ensure no injury would come to her.

"Professor." Fiore said, and Berserker charged his spear, pointing it towards her student. Archer revealed his bow, uncertain about his reaction. Hazel had to do something, she wouldn't tolerate this behavior.

Hazel jumped over his shoulder, grabbing his lance with her left and pressing his chest with her right. It felt like small needles were slowly digging into her palm but she ignored the pain. He growled softly at her, confused by her reaction.

"You _never_ point your weapon at my student, is that clear?" Hazel dictated, "Stand down."

After a few seconds Berserker chose to listen, before she needed to use a command seal. He simply wanted to ensure she was protected and couldn't understand why she would be against it. Hazel let go of the spear but left her hand on his chest as she had done back home. It seemed to calm him, and he would need to remain that way in order to keep composure around Lancer of Black. Hazel had no idea how far his spikes could stretch, and wanted to be cautious.

"Berserker, no matter how much I get hurt, I'll always come back. That's my promise to you." She removed her hand as Berserker placed his there, trying to conceal the warmth.

Hazel knew she would be safe, and was glad Archer was a kind ally. She got into the back of the van with Fiore and Caules. It felt like being kidnapped, with two doors that opened in the trunk and benches that lined the walls. Fiore sat with her briefcase, which contained her most dangerous weapon. Hazel knew Fiore could fight, she just hadn't been in a position where it was life or death.

The van pulled away once Archer stepped inside. She watched through the back window as Berserker remained still and confused. Her hand was healing slowly as Archer examined it, the black and purple marks were like thorns in her skin but would fade before they reached the village. Hazel had made it clear that she was in control but the power seemed to be slipping.

Once the van was out of sight, Berserker went back to his kill, hoping to fill his stomach. However, Rider of Black was already scavenging for parts.

"Hey buddy." he said, "I'm not taking much just enough to feed someone. Bye." He left quickly trying to get back to his business. Berserker was curious and followed him. The pink haired lad was who he spent time with before, and he wanted to entertain himself.

He paced carefully behind him, and found there was a faint smell like his master. He pounded on the door but no one answered. She had left but he could tell that behind the door something was familiar. The scent of her blood was still fresh in his nostrils, he couldn't forget the aroma.

"Stop that." Rider said, opening the door, "Please leave me alone, lobster magician, I'll get in trouble."

Berserker wasn't going without an answer. He didn't know how to tell him. He could sense her blood, she had to be close. He pointed to the back of his hand, knowing that his master bore a mark. Astolfo was confused by this.

"Hand?" he thought, then remembered, "Oh, your master, you saw her leave. Do you miss her already?" Astolfo tried to close the door but Berserker held it steady.

"She'll be back when the moon is out." Rider said, "She's a strong lady, that's why you wanted her as your master right?"

Berserker stopped for a moment, he remembered something. It was just a flash of a smile. Hers, or was it someone else? His head began to feel a gnawing pain, as though he was being attacked by a pack of wolves inside his skull. He needed to find a space to be alone, understand what he was seeing.

He found the room that his master slept in the night before. He laid on the bed trying to remember that face and why he cared to protect them.

Why did he accept this mage's call? He couldn't remember as he sat in the room. She was hurt, wanted revenge, but also wanted to protect him as much as he did with her. He felt the warmth again, where she had placed her hand. That hand felt like another, he felt he was beginning to see why he wanted to protect her.

"E…mer." he whispered to himself.

Her face again, the familiar shape and smile. It had to be her from another life. His master was not afraid like the others. She was kind to her allies and eager to fight. His image of her had begun to twist as he laid sleeping, thinking this had to be the one he loved, and that no one else would harm her without death being their punishment.


	16. Chapter 14: First Blood

**Chapter 14: First Blood**

The trio waited on the roof on an old tavern, as the stillness of the night only heightened their anticipation. Caules stayed back with the homunculi, sure that his sister would be safe with Chiron and Hazel.

Archer decided to take a higher vantage point while Hazel remained with Fiore. Her bronze link manipulators were already in place, ready to go when the time came. Hazel was prepared too, but was thinking of her servant and what he was doing. Hoping he would stay controlled until she returned.

"Hazel, is Berserker okay?" Fiore asked.

Hazel sighed, seeing her student's eyes full of concern. "I think he just likes to be close; but, he would damage the city along with the servant, that's not what we want."

Fiore still looked concerned, twirling her fingers. Hazel had put herself between many fights that it didn't faze her. Her student however had only practiced with other classmates, not on high profile mages.

"I know he can be scary, but I won't let him hurt you or Chiron." she assured her student.

There was a pause and Fiore smiled, thinking about what had transpired that day. She was still young at heart though she was the eldest in her family. Being in a situation where she could witness her mentor fight was a charming experience. One she hoped would not end in tragedy.

"You and Archer get along well."

Hazel chuckled softly, "I hope so, he'd kill me if we didn't."

"How does he compare to Lord El Melloi II?"

"What do you…?" Hazel said, but realized what she was really asking once she saw the smile appear on her face.

Hazel shook her head, "Very funny, but your servant's half horse, I'm not going anywhere near that." Fiore looked away, realizing her joke had failed. She was extremely nervous about tonight, and fighting with a mage who was a top pick for high level missions made the young mage want to prove herself even more.

Hazel smiled, "Your goal is to make it out alive. Understood."

"Yes, professor."

In a matter of seconds Archer dropped down from above, his bow ready.

"That fog in the distance, I see three beings, and sense two are servants."

"One must be Assassin. Fiore are you ready?" Hazel said, and saw her student looking at the ground. This is what they had been waiting for and it was time to act.

"Um…yes." she said quiet as Hazel pricked her finger on Fiore's metal arm and pressed it to her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"It's a tracking spell. This way I can find you if we get separated." Hazel said, dabbing the blood.

"I'll go after the servants, you two track the masters." Archer instructed and Fiore and Hazel jumped to the ground.

Hazel activated her shield as they went through the fog. Her circuits illuminated her body as they processed the poison but made it bearable enough to breathe. Fiore followed behind but she was struggling to keep up the pace when she couldn't see. The gap between them kept growing bigger and bigger.

"Professor, I can't breathe." Fiore said, coughing loudly.

"Fall back, I'll check it out." Hazel commanded, and Fiore climbed up through the alley, away from the fog. Hazel maintained a steady pace, focusing on sounds of clashing weapons. It appeared as the fog grew denser, that the sounds grew louder. She was close to the fight but as soon as she could get a glimpse, the smoke disappeared, as though there was nothing to begin with.

"It's gone." Hazel whispered, but she needed to stay vigilant. The clashing she heard sounded like swords or daggers, and their wielders were likely coming for her next. She made a shield underneath her skin that surrounded her neck and torso. If she were to encounter Assassin, they would most likely take every chance to kill.

As she walked through the alley, she noticed a pair at the end of the opening. A mother carrying her sleeping child on her back. She approached with caution, but wanted to protect them in case the servants moved their battle closer.

"Hey miss…?" Hazel said, and in a second fell to the ground. She could feel blood coming out from her neck as she placed her hand there to heal it. She laid in the alley, the cut had run deep, scraping the top of her shield. The artery was a good shot, and quickly she began to heal, threading the blood to her body. Everything started to turn black, with the last sight being the mother walking out of view.

The dagger flew back into Assassin's hand like a boomerang. She pressed her tongue against it.

"Yummy." she said, licking the blade clean of blood.

"Jack dear, we need to get you home."

"But her blood is sweet, mommy. Her heart must be better."

"Later, Jack. When you're healed."

"Okay, mommy." Jack said pouting, hoping they would be able to finish off the kill after they had been hurt. But the body would be there within the hour. Lifeless, but with a heart intact.

* * *

The fortress was full of worry, with homunculi running trying to prepare for the coming threat that had been spotted. It appeared that nothing would stop it, but they had only been trained to obey.

"Lord Vlad." A homunculi ran into the common room as the masters and servants discussed what they were seeing on the monitors.

"Berserker of Red has broken the perimeter. He's coming straight for the castle." The homunculi said.

"Secure it immediately." The Impaler replied.

"We've tried but he just keeps killing, there's no way to stop him."

"We have one." Lancer said and left the room. He walked to the floor where Darnic had placed the pair the other night. He opened the door to see Berserker lying on the bed, growling once he entered.

"If you want to see your master again, then show no mercy to this intruder." Lancer commanded. Berserker snarled at the request, but then thought. He had no idea where she was, if she would return. It came as an empty promise, but he was here to fight, and it was better than sitting alone in a room.

He exited through the French doors and charged into the forest. There were already bodies of homunculi that had been torn or snapped in half by the trunks to guide his path. The other servants followed at a far distance, unsure what two berserkers might do to each other.

Once they had found the enemy, it was clear that Berserker of Red outmatched Cú in size. His smile was unpleasant and his eyes would not blink. Astolfo rode his steed in the sky but was unwilling to go further. He had faith his new friend could win the fight, as the other members of the faction watched from the ground.

"Are you the oppressor?" he spoke and Cú roared, leaping into battle with no patience left.

The two began to battle as the rest looked on. Though in size Cú was outmatched he easily maneuvered around Berserker of Red, climbing his body and striking him. His spear grazed the skin, but with every puncture wound the last would close. It seemed that his outer body could heal itself, like what his master could do. Cú became frustrated, but did not have the patience to toy with the warrior. He stood back and crouched low to the ground.

"No more?" Spartacus questioned but the spear sparked a brilliant red, an inferno that only the Hound of Chulainn could handle.

"Show us your true strength, Berserker of Black." Lancer whispered to himself, enjoying the chance to devise a plan against his future opponent.

Cú roared as his noble phantasm released. The muscles in his arm began to rip apart as the spear left his hand. His attack hit before the spear entered the skin of his opponent. The curse spread like roots in the ground, black and purple colors incased the body until it was completely still. It fell to the ground with a hard hit as the cursed weapon returned to its owner. Berserker of Red had been defeated.

He swung the Gáe Bulg over his shoulders as his arm began to repair itself using Runes to accelerate the process. He turned his back, glad to finally finish a battle.

"That's how it's done lobster magician!" Astolfo shouted as he landed in excitement and the victor grinned. They all began to walk away from the fight, it was over in their eyes.

"Mo…re." the carcass spoke, and they all turned. "I want… more."

The warrior had begun to grow. The attack had only increased his strength. But his body began to shift in shape and size, becoming more monstrous.

Before Berserker of Black could strike again, a bright yellow light appeared between him and his challenger. For a moment he thought his master had returned but as the light dissolved, another was revealed. A blonde haired woman in blue and silver armor, carrying a flag.

"I wondered when they would intervene." Darnic said, knowing the identity of the unexpected guest.

"Stand back, all of you." Ruler commanded. She had watched the battle, but Berserker of Red's phantasm was quite unpredictable. Though she caught his attention, Cú was not going to retreat. This was his battle, and he would finish it.

He grabbed onto Ruler's flag, growling to assert his desire to fight. However, she had to finish this so no more life would be lost.

"Berserker of Black, I command you to stand down." Ruler activated a command seal, and for a moment he froze. She began to move, but slowly he began charging towards Berserker of Red who was almost unrecognizable.

"He's not budging." Astolfo said.

"It's his kill." Saber of Black recognized, "A true hunter doesn't abandon prey."

"Berserker of Black, by my second command seal I call you to remain here." The seal activated and he stopped. Ruler had no choice but to lead away the servant that was about to sacrifice himself.

"Spartacus, follow me." she commanded, and the entity followed the maiden deeper into the woods.

The rest remained, waiting for another servant to emerge. But after a few moments of silence it appeared that there would be no more opponents. They all turned to go back to the fortress, except for one stubborn warrior.

Ruler's seal had begun to release, and the growls progressed into roars. Rattling the forest and shaking leaves off of the trees. There was a surge in power, greater than when he used his noble phantasm. He began to grow new armor on his skin. He only desired to finish a battle, claim one victory, but no matter how much he wanted to fight, the only one who understood his will had disappeared. Or maybe she was dead. He began to funnel his rage towards the servant she knew his master despised. In a flash, he charged Lancer of Black.

Vlad laid a field of spikes as the other servants watched. But his strength had grown since the last time. They were knocked down like toothpicks as he ran. Caster made two golems to slow the mad warrior but he ripped them apart in seconds.

"Don't stand there, restrain him!" Gordes commanded the homunculi, and they began to go after the servant, trying to contain him.

No matter the force, each homunculi was flung into the forest, splattering their blood on the roots and bark of the trees as their bodies snapped. The order remained and more came one by one. The bark changed color as more blood flowed through the trees. These bodies were merely toys, easily broken by Berserker's strength.

The others watched, apprehensive of what the next move would be. But this one servant was easily slaughtering the homunculi army. There seemed to be no way to calm his rage.

"How gruesome." Celenike scoffed as Gordes stood clenching his teeth.

Astolfo whimpered, hesitant to engage in battle with one he considered his friend.

"Where is Master Hazel?" he said, "Maybe she can help…"

"No!" Lancer scolded, he had no choice but to demand obedience. "Everyone do what you must to restrain him, even if it be his death."

* * *

The blood pile was not as large as she expected but still a gruesome sight. Hazel couldn't remember how she got there but once she felt her neck she could tell something had sliced the skin. She massaged it, noticing the blood had stained her jacket.

 _Dammit, who cut me?_ Hazel thought, walking away from the blood puddle. If she did not have a shield underneath her skin she would have been dead. But not knowing what they looked like, whoever it was, bugged her. She tried to think of details but all she could remember was the fog growing thicker until it was black.

"Hazel!" she heard a voice shout, and ran to it. Her student was in danger.

Hazel sprinted to the sound, using the blood as a guide and ignoring the other actions around her. She could hear Chiron and what sounded like a female sparing, but her priority was to keep her student safe. Archer could handle himself.

She heard a car running and then a hard hit. Fiore began shouting about the recklessness of the other. There was only one mage she could name who would use a car in combat. Hazel was afraid of this, but she already warned the necromancer.

"This isn't my day." Hazel said to herself, but there was no room for hesitation.

Before she arrived, Caules had stopped the car; but, the mage didn't exit the vehicle and proceeded to reeve the engine. The siblings looked each other, unsure what to do. The driver slammed the accelerator, as they tried to escape the alley.

Hazel projected a shield to stop the car and she stood in front of the siblings. She could tell they were scared, but she could handle this from here.

The car door opened and the man behind the wheel presented himself.

"They'll give driver's licenses to anyone now." Hazel said as Kairi began to laugh.

"Oh, well isn't it the Mages Association's newest traitor." he said. Hazel turned to face him. Even though she felt weaker from the blood loss, she could still put up a fight.

"Fiore, Caules, go to the rendezvous."

"But professor…"

"Did I stutter?" she commanded and they gradually paced away from the scene, unsure about where this battle would lead for their professor. Fiore knew she had to live, and she would follow the plan Hazel provided. But the blood she saw made her question if her master was stable enough to fight.

The fog had cleared. Only a rusty vehicle made a wall between them. Kairi lit a cigarette, and Hazel waited, trying to stall for time. Though they had already agreed not to hold back against each other, she still was hesitant to attack someone she used to fight with. However, Archer's eyes were sharp, and she assumed Fiore would ask him to help her. She was still in this role as a Master of Black, and needed to play by that code.

"Protecting your students, how maternal of you." A volley fired from Hazel's hand, grazing Kairi's cheek. He puffed out a cloud of smoke and fired three beams from the light pattern in the smoke cloud. Hazel made a shield and dissolved the ammunition. She needed to be quick in taking him down.

"Hurt me all you want, they're barely adults." she said and made a shield to crush the car, thinking he may have stored some ammunition within it. Kairi smirked.

"Scary, the woman who wants nothing is ready to fight." he said, loading his revolver with monkey fingers. "Your boyfriend called me, I don't think he understands I only fight for myself. I wonder what his face will look like when you're dead."

Kairi fired and Hazel blocked the attack with ease. She charged him and took him off balance by kicking his leg to the ground. She began pulling out anything, ammo and potions to limit his potential to strike. Once she had found everything she pinned him to the alley wall, pressing his face into the brick. It seemed too easy for her to stop him, but she held him tight. Placing shields around his arms, constricting his muscles tight enough so the circulation slowed exponentially. She knew that in a minute by slowly incasing his entire body he would suffocate.

"They call you a fox, but you're true to your word." Kairi said as the shield went over his face.

Hazel didn't want it to end here. The two of them shared memories. Mostly bad but the few times they could stand each other she knew he could be honest. This was how she would treat her targets. And she knew he was better than the scum she killed. But it had come to this, war and sacrifice to attain one personal goal.

"It's your daughter, isn't it?" she whispered in his ear, he was silent. Hazel knew his weakness, and he was going to die with nothing else to say. "Sorry it had to end like this."

Suddenly, Hazel felt her mana drop, she had no idea what was going on, but she had to keep Kairi contained. The alley became blurry like before, she knew something was wrong as she began to lose her balance and loosened her grip, allowing her victim to move.

 _What are you doing, Cú?_ She thought as she struggled to remain standing.

"I hate to do this Fox, but we have to fight for ourselves." Kairi said, and let go of a vial which he had hidden under his tongue. It broke open and the smoke began to spread. Hazel tried to escape but once the vial exploded toxins filled her system. Kairi ran, his arm throbbing from her attack, but his legs moving quickly as he disappeared from Hazel's view. She could feel her inside begin to burn as she scratched her throat. Her eyes watered, and she tried to speak.

" _Eir…Bien."_ she uttered as the smoke encased her body in full.


	17. Chapter 15: Separation

**Chapter 15: Separation**

The road continued to twist as the homunculi drove the van through the hillside. Large rocks poked through the mountains, creating a jagged landscape. The moon was almost full in the sky, so close to perfection.

Hazel opened her eyes slowly, staring as the white ceiling of the van came into view. She pulled herself up, noticing Archer sitting in the corner next to her head.

"Chiron, what happened?" Hazel questioned, starting to cough. Small speckles of blood appeared in her hands. She smiled, knowing the shield had worked. They looked at Fiore and Caules who had both fallen asleep in the seats across from them.

"At least they're safe." she said, easing back into the seat. Chiron felt this was a time he could learn more about Hazel, observing that her connection with Fiore seemed rather close.

"You care about my master and her brother like they're your own."

"Besides being students, they're my sister's best friends." she said and started coughing again, but this time more blood came out and splattered on the floor.

"Are you all right, Hazel?" Chiron asked concerned, but she put a hand between them.

"It's how the shield gets the poison out." said Hazel, wiping her face. "The first time it's quite gross; but, now that my body knows the poison, it will have little effect next time."

"That's a great toll to put on yourself."

"Yeah." she said smiling to the ground, "My grandfather wanted to make something that appeared invincible, much like Achilles. A warrior who couldn't fall, but adapt. I was the only one with enough magic circuits, and young enough so my body could grow into the shield."

Chiron chuckled. "It's interesting how others interpret our legends."

"Humans want to be remembered, so they try to replicate things we're told are great." Hazel said, "Gods and goddesses, heroes, we all want to make our mark on the world. But for many of us, the small tasks are what mean the most in the end."

They sat for a moment, thinking about this war. Chiron knew his wish was selfish, asking for his immortality, but he could see that his master had guidance. Hazel had seen much in her short life, but she had experience in death and war, knowing when it was time to escape and time to fight. She saved her students and he could relate to the sentiment.

"I'm glad you're Fiore's mentor." Chiron said, and Hazel turned her head to him with the compliment, but the moment was interrupted by a loud cry from outside the van.

There was large energy approaching and the whole van shook. Something had struck the hillside, letting all of the rocks crumble down. The siblings woke in a panic.

"What was that?" Fiore asked, but Archer and Hazel were already thinking of a plan.

"I'll steer." Chiron said, pressing his hand to the floor to take control of the van.

"The cliff side exploded." Caules stated as a rock hit the top of the van, denting the roof. Though the speed had increased it was clear that the explosion was still spreading and coming towards them. Hazel had an idea, but she needed some help from her students.

"Professor."

"Fiore, secure your brother. Caules, lend me some mana." Hazel said and her students obeyed. Chiron kept control of the van, but even at top speed the effects of the explosion were noticeable.

"They're still falling." Caules said as Hazel thought. She grabbed onto a bar on the ceiling and broke the back window of the van. She could see now that it was not just rocks, but an explosion of magical energy. The blast appeared and Hazel projected a shield, waiting for it to hit. She only needed to reverse the blast to propel them out of the explosion's path.

" _Cefn."_ Hazel said, as the energy hit her shield as the van went flying off the road, down the hillside. Fiore held onto Caules with her working arms, knowing she could only secure two. The vehicle was heading for the trees, bound to crash. Fiore looked at her mentor, who was still standing only gripping the bar.

"Chiron!" Fiore yelled to get his attention.

Archer let go of his control to secure Hazel, punching a hole through the metal to get a better grip. The vehicle went head first into a large tree. The two homunculi were killed instantly, but the others held close for a moment until they were sure that the vehicle had stopped moving and could steady themselves.

Hazel looked at Archer who was face to face with her. He pulled his hand out of the vehicle wall. It had been scraped from plunging it through the metal. She appreciated being saved, but still felt lightheaded. Falling was always an uncomfortable feeling.

"One moment." Hazel stepped out of the van slowly. Her head was trying to focus now that they were grounded. She stood with her hands on her knees, waiting for the nauseous feeling to hit her stomach and expel itself.

But there was another presence. Hazel glanced at the woman dressed in fine armor with long braided hair. She wondered if she was the reason they had just crashed the van, miles from their destination.

"Who the hell are you?" Hazel asked.

"I am Jeanne D'Arc, the Ruler of the Great Holy Grail War." she said, "Are you Berserker of Black's Master?"

Simultaneously a roar came from the forest. Hazel didn't need the details, she could tell it was her servant and that he was in danger. Without a second thought, she went into the woods, running toward the sound.

"Hazel wait." Fiore said, but her master was already far from view.

Hazel treaded through the woods, stumbling on the roots and rocks. She heard Fiore and Caules behind her but soon Archer appeared by her side.

"It will be faster on my back." he suggested, and she latched on tightly as he galloped through the terrain.

The bodies of homunculi and the trees that had turned color from their blood distracted her. Growing a brighter red the closer the got to the sounds. She didn't want to know any more about them, only what state her servant was in. What happened while she was away?

The loud roaring stopped and Hazel grew concerned, grabbing tightly around Archer's shoulders. Though she thought to herself trying to get in contact, nothing seemed to help. She needed to know exactly what was happening.

"Can you hear anything?" she asked Archer. And he tuned out the distractions to listen solely to the voices.

"He's not putting up a fight. We should leave him be."

"Rider, stop whining and kill him!"

"No, Master. I'm not going to hurt him."

"Useless. Saber, as your master I command you to finish him off."

Chiron sprinted faster, and they were at the scene in a matter of seconds. Hazel closed her eyes until she heard a sword swing. Chiron had stopped Siegfried's weapon with his bow, but when she turned to see whom he was striking, she could not believe the sight.

Hazel did not see the scene around her, only what had become of her servant. His Runes barely visible with the amount of blood that covered his body. Cuts deep in his skin from were spikes had been launched and a sword had been plunged. He laid on the ground, his eyes barely open as he saw his master's concern. His breathing was shallow, almost like he was about to give up.

"Cú?" Hazel asked softly. She looked out at all of the Master's and servants who remained in the area, weapons in hand including the homunculi. They attacked him when she couldn't see, the drain in mana must have been from this. He was in pain and only wanted to know what had happened to her. Though it was a selfish guess, it was all she had until given an actual answer.

She could feel her body begin to tense up, resisting her urge to rip them all apart. Their lives were not as important as the weathered warrior she kneeled next to. She needed to calm herself, for her servant's sake.

Hazel began to heal him as the others looked on, waiting for her to speak. Chiron could tell she was not ready to talk, and stood beside her with his bow ready.

"What happened here?" he asked for her sake, as she continued to heal Berserker with whatever strength she had left.

"Lower your weapon, Archer." Lancer said.

"Once I receive an answer."

"I will tell." A voice came from the forest. Ruler stepped forward next to Archer and the wounded pair. Caules and Fiore followed behind her, but stayed back when they saw the scene.

"After Berserker used his noble phantasm, Spartacus had enough power to wipe out this entire faction, even a village with his own attack." Ruler looked to Hazel, who listened but did not turn her gaze away from Berserker.

Ruler continued, "I needed to steer him away, but your servant was being uncooperative…"

"This wasn't his fault."

"Master of Black…"

"My name is Hazel!" she snapped, staring directly at Ruler. She had no mercy for those who let her servant end up in this state. So what if the faction was killed. Fiore and Caules would have been safe, her warrior could die in battle as he wanted. But to have this happen because one heroic spirit felt it just was nonsense.

"Do you see the blood on my clothes? On his armor? He just wanted to finish his fight. But you took it upon yourself to intervene."

"You refuse to see his life was spared, along with your faction."

"Then help me heal him." Hazel demanded, and Ruler shook her head.

"I used two command seals to restrain him. That's my limit per servant."

"Then what good are you?" Hazel said sharply, knowing she would have to resort to another tactic.

Hazel threw several volleys like daggers at the faces of the remaining homunculi. Soon thin threads of blood came from their cheeks, stretching out like spun yarn. She slowly drained mana through the thin lines and channeled it to Berserker. Like flies in a web, the homunculi were still. Hazel used this often as a way to gather information, torture. She could interpret mystic codes from large samples but most important, from the smallest cut she could drain energy from drawing out the crimson liquid.

"What is wrong with you!?" Gordes said in a huff.

"I only need enough to stop the bleeding."

"Your servant wiped out a legion of my homunculi, he doesn't deserve to be saved after attacking his own!"

"You could have let him be." she began, "We summoned heroes. Many that, if not for their moral codes, could kill us. My servant just wants to fight, kill until no enemy remains. And even if he has no voice, he still has humanity unlike the rest of you."

She released her grip as the homunculi who fell to the ground, still alive. Berserker had most of the larger wounds covered, but was quite weak from his battle. The rest began to converse as though she was no longer present, continuing on about how thankful they were. But she had no choice now but to find another dwelling. She grabbed her servant, who was now able to stand, and swung his arm over her shoulder.

"Ruler, we appreciate that our lives were spared." Lancer began, "But as you can see, this one warrior was tearing through our forces. We needed to restrain him."

"You did what needed to be done."

"Tell me, after everyone turned on you in the past, burned you at the stake, do you not care about those who suffer now?" Hazel asked, her servant hanging by her side. "You speak as though he's dead, all of you. Are you proud of this?" Everyone looked away avoiding eye contact. Hazel knew it was a risk to leave, but this treatment of a hero made her sick.

"We'll fight from the battlefield, if this is the cost of staying in luxury." she said, walking away slowly.

"Look at the forest." Celenike said. "The bodies of homunculi. That _was_ his fault. Your servant has no humanity and is no saint."

"Neither is she." Hazel said, glaring at Ruler. "But, I think you already know that." Jeanne clenched her fists. She could not bite her tongue at that remark.

"Are you that selfish to abandon your faction?" she said, "As a Ruler I must keep this war in balance, ensure both factions can fight fairly."

Hazel chuckled. "Playing fair in war? Now that's a real myth." She walked, carrying Berserker beside her, away from everyone who made him suffer.

"She is a troublesome mage, we apologize for her rudeness." Darnic stated, once they were out of sight.

"What happened here tonight is done. I'll leave you all to determine where you stand." Ruler said and went the opposite direction into the forest, knowing that though life was spared, she had only made more enemies.

The Black Faction again went to retreat to the fortress except for one master. Archer and Caules stood next to her, her head hanging low.

"She wanted him safe. Was it necessary? Is this what could happen to us if we disobey…?"

"Silence Fiore!" Darnic commanded, and she shuddered as he approached. He stood in front of her and looked into her eyes. Though she was afraid she did her best not to flinch.

"You were not a witness. We needed to use force." he said, "Tomorrow will bring more battles, we must prepare." He turned his back and walked away; but, they still remained.

"Sis, what's gotten into you? Grandpa Darnic isn't someone you want to piss off." Caules asked, still shaking with fear. His sister had started to cry. This was not how she wanted to night to end.

"She's not a bad person; but, when you attack someone she cares about, that's when she can't control herself. You both saved us tonight, Chiron…"

"I know, but your mentor is right." Archer said, kneeling in front of his master. "If her servant's safety is at risk, they need to keep their distance."

"Will she come back?" Fiore asked. Archer paused, Hazel's reaction was familiar, similar to what he expected from his student. Even though she was skilled, her heart held her back from seeing the bigger picture. She needed time to reflect. Understand her frustration. But, the severity of the attack made him curious if there was more behind this. If what had been done to Berserker was because of resentment towards his master? It was not his business, and for now all he could do was ensure Fiore's safety.

"We'll give it time." Archer said as they headed towards the castle.

* * *

There was a rock cave in the woods. It was dark but the soon to be full moon provided splendid light. She found a puddle of water in the cave and used her Yggdmillennia jacket as a wet rag to wash his wounds. Hazel sat across from Berserker, but was beginning to fall asleep. After her tiff with Kairi and the mysterious cut on her neck, she could only supply enough to stop the major bleeds.

"That's what I can give you for now. But a goodnight's rest will do us both good." Said Hazel, wringing out the blood from the jacket.

"They hate me that's why they hurt you. I'm just glad you're alive. You're definitely exceeded my expectations." She looked out on the landscape but was still troubled. This Ruler class servant she had met tonight may have spared lives, but did not punish the ones who attacked her servant. Hazel had gotten used to war, but the problem was everyone wanted to be meticulous, have a reason for their success and mistakes. But, that would not clear away anything when her final breathe came.

Hazel smiled, "That Ruler though, she doesn't understand. War is always unpredictable. Sometimes, you can't justify your actions, just acknowledge they happened." She felt Berserker move his hand around her ear. She smiled and he held her hand, gently tracing his thumb over the command seals.

"Em…" he spoke.

"What Cú?"

"Em…er." Hazel grabbed his hand tighter, she knew the name. It was the woman from her dream. He saw her as someone else. Someone he cared for. But she wanted to be honest with him.

"Emer?" she questioned, and he smiled. "Oh Cú, I'm not your wife. Hazel, your master, remember?"

"Ha..?" He started to say her name but soon began to panic. He thought he knew her, she seemed so familiar but it was just another stranger like the ones who hurt him. What if this was a trick? He had to get away, figure out who this person was knowing it wasn't who he thought.

"Cú don't." Hazel said, but he sprinted out of sight. She knew he would return, it was only a matter of when.

Hazel sat on the ground, thinking of what she missed. Her parent's, Rikki. But the way he held her hand, gently and with care. She could remember how the sensation was the first time. She pressed her fist against her chest, trying to recreate the warmth. How that one person made her feel. She knew why her servant ran because she did it all the time, and hurt those close to her.

"You're not the monster, Cú." she said, closing her eyes and drifting into sleep.

* * *

The priest sat alone reading an interesting book as he waited. Many things did not entertain him, but this was something that could benefit their side. He turned the pages, reading what was said about these heroes who fought. He was a patient man, sitting in the garden that his servant had made. Shirou admired its beauty, but knew that every step taken was one closer to achieving his goal.

"You called for me, master?" Caster of Red asked.

"Yes." Shirou said, raising from the bench as they walked side by side. "Berserker of Black's master has separated from the Black Faction. This is would a prime opportunity to bring her here."

"Very well." Caster said, "Do I have any material on this master? I'd hate to be unprepared."

"I thought this would help." He handed him the book which he was reading, and began to reach for another item. A small vile that Assassin of Red had prepared. "Also, take this if she resists."

"She must be a wild mage for your Queen to give me one of her dear creations."

"She'll be hard to persuade, but I have faith you'll entice her. We need her relaxed if Berserker is to join us." The potion had worked so far on the other masters he had gathered. Even if it would only contain her for a short time, it would be enough to secure their desired Berserker.

"Of course, I'll leave at once." Caster said, exiting the garden. He began to page through the book and the names of the other heroes. The writing bored him with the mediocre sentences and illustrations, except for one page. The hero was Iskandar the Great, and on the back was a handwritten letter. Shakespeare stopped as he stroked his beard, analyzing the note. All he could do was grin.

"Oh, this may be more entertaining than I thought."


	18. Chapter 16: Tears in Truth

**Chapter 16: Tears in Truth**

A presence of mana woke Hazel from her sleep. She looked around the cave, but Berserker was still gone. She knew he needed time, and figured by morning she would use a command seal if he didn't return.

Whoever this was wasn't even close to her servant's capable power. She felt she could take them quickly. Hazel treaded carefully outside of the cave, still in bloody clothes though her wounds had healed.

"The maiden has awoken." A voice said and Hazel shot a volley in their direction. The servant appeared from spirit form. A man with a full beard and flowing hair. Covered in patterned garments and carrying a book and quill.

"I was enjoying my sleep. Now leave, or die." Hazel said, making a pointed shield above her forearm.

"My apologies, Lady Hazel, I simply wished to make my introduction. Too late and the character becomes pointless." He approached her, but she held her guard.

"What's your name?" Hazel asked, and he smiled at the question.

"I am the great William Shakespeare, master of my craft, a Caster in this life."

"Caster?" she said, lowering her guard. She began chuckling at the thought of a playwright as a servant, one which she told Bram was a terrible choice. "You must leave some nasty papercuts." She continued to laugh as Caster sighed.

"So you're a fool, how delightful." he said unamused, but knew he was here for a reason. "I've received word that you've separated from the Black Faction, and wish to join ours?"

Hazel shook her head. "Not yet. I have a prior engagement."

"You see, my master has agreed to take care of it, if you leave with me now." Shakespeare said. "You've struggled so much already, why not relax and join the side destined to win an…"

"Whoever they are just wants my Berserker." Hazel was quick to judge, but she could see the Mages Association wanting to know which Berserker was stronger. No matter the side, she would not willingly go without her servant.

"But you would be with the right faction?"

"Same one that tried to kill me." she said, going back into the cave. "The answer is no. I'll join you when I'm ready."

"Saber of Black has perished as well." The news did not phase her as she crossed her arms.

"We all die at some point." Hazel said leaning against the wall. She wasn't going to shoot the messenger tonight, it had already been long enough for her. Caster knew he had to use his leverage, reveal her story through his noble phantasm to get her to move.

"What about this admirer? I'm certain they don't want you dead."

Hazel turned, she forgot that when they fought Archer and Rider of Red that she dropped her messenger bag. Shakespeare held the book that had been given to her.

"Dear Hazel," he read, as pages flew around them, creating a whirlwind. Hazel covered her ears as Caster created his story, but it barely dampened the sound. He continued to read as his voice began to change into one familiar to her.

"I know you may never see this, but I needed to write. This journey is your own, and I understand that. Whatever this war brings is bestowed on you and your actions reflect that. You're more prepared than I was. I wish I noticed back then how valuable you are to me. Even going different directions, traveling side by side through our letters. I will be close to you in spirit and hope for your safe return so we can continue on this path together. Sincerely…"

"Lord El Melloi II." Hazel finished off the letter. The woods had faded into darkness, except for the figure of the friend she knew. She looked at him, smiling. Something that was hard to get him to do, but seemed easier when they were alone.

"I'll admit, I thought scholars weren't your preference." Shakespeare appeared next to her friend, looking him over thoroughly.

"Where are we?"

"I thought this is what you wanted. To be with the man you love."

"Love?" she asked.

"What I want to know is what your true relations to this man are. It's been so long since I composed a love story, let's begin."

The scene changed to a familiar place. A long hallway in Clock Tower with large windows to make it illuminate with moon light. She watched a young boy with short black hair and a green sweater walk around the corner. It was Waver. Soon two other boys began to tackle him, one pinned him to the ground as the other started combing through his things and reading his work.

"Stop, that's my paper." Waver said.

"Oh look at this, he thinks he can make a difference through hard work, not lineage." they said, "You're worth nothing here, orphan."

Soon two yellow shells were formed around the boy's bodies. They were flung against the wall as slow footsteps came down the hallway.

"What the hell?" one asked.

"He didn't do anything to you, so get lost." It was Hazel, about sixteen years old. She was covered in bandages on her torso and arms dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans. But even with injures, she still fought.

"Oh look at little Ms. Entitled. Should we bow?"

"No, but an apology would be nice."

"Why should we care?" the other said, "You're only here because your grandpa used you as an experiment."

She dropped them from the wall and they fell hard on the ground. Waver stayed there, paralyzed.

"Crazy bitch." one yelled as the boys ran from the scene.

"Idiots." she said, and began to help Waver collect his things. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." he said coldly. There was a pause as they picked up the scattered papers. "You're Professor El Melloi's apprentice…?"

"Hazel is good." she said, glancing over the title page of his term paper. "And you're Waver Velvet…?"

"Don't read that!" he ripped it from her hands, and shoved it into his bag. They stood from the ground.

"How will you know it's good without other opinions?"

"Because I know I'm right." he said, proud with his back turned away. "What do you care, being a prodigy mage?"

"Sometimes being on top isn't as easy as it seems. Potential is wasted when we tell people they're worth nothing." She began to walk the other way, but Waver stayed still.

"I have bandages in my dorm." he said, and Hazel stopped. She was usually the one helping others, not being serviced.

"Oh, it's healed." she said. "Thank you though." The two parted ways, both knowing now that they had someone to rely on.

"You protected him." Caster said, appearing behind Hazel.

"Out of all my memories you start here?"

"You tell me." he said, stroking his beard. "Did you prefer to see this?"

Loud screams were heard as Hazel ran towards a door and flung it open. But the image was something she never wanted to see again. Her circuits exposed on an operating table as her grandfather did his work. Skin peeled from her back and torso to manipulate the circuits, and intertwine it with his shield that he had worked to find the perfect match for. She was only about eight years old.

"You want to be remembered, right Hazel?" her grandfather asked.

"I want to be like the heroes in my stories." she said, trying to remain calm. "Help people, and protect my loved ones."

"You will. You're a strong mage in your own right, but this will help you carry out your dream."

She felt a presence behind her and struck it down. It was a mage, or an illusion like the rest of this setting. They continued to come at her. All she could see were monsters trying to attack her as she slashed them apart. Cutting them, then hanging them by their own blood.

Caster chuckled as she fought these creatures, "Blood magic, shield magic, and healing magic. Three different mage crafts and you mastered them all."

"No. I learn, I never mastered anything." she said, continuing to strike the monsters down.

"Except to kill."

Soon lights came up on a room filled with endless rows of coffins. Hazel realized what this was supposed to mean. The people she killed, the comrades she lost in only a few years of working for the Mages Association. But she had already come to this realization, that she would have her revenge. That death was something she could not take back.

"You think this scares me?"

"No." Caster said, beginning to circle around her. "But something about this _heroic_ life you craved. To have others look up to you and remember your name. There must be something you regret about the choice you made?"

"I live my dream, there were bond to be sacrifices."

"But what you want in youth can change with age. You wanted to prove that you were strong, and pass on your abilities to the next generation."

Hazel knew what he wanted to hear, and it was a truth she was not prepared to share with anyone besides the one she held dear.

"Screw this. Berserker, I command you to find me, wherever I am." Her command seal activated and she went to stab Caster but it was only a doll. Caster came behind her drew the vile that Assassin had prepared, hovering it under her nose. He drop it on the ground as the aroma filled Hazel's nostrils, though she tried to cast a spell to extract the toxin, her body could not process it.

"You heroic types are so predictable. Slashing down anyone who wants the truth." Caster said, "Farewell Lady Hazel, I'll leave you to enjoy." Hazel closed her eyes struggling to think of where she was, what had happened. The sensation of the poison made her relax. Losing all sense of reality.

"Hazel, are you all right?" She heard behind her, their hands holding her up. It was Clock Tower and she was wearing a long evening dress. Her head was spinning, trying to relax, but when she turned to see who it was, she was put at ease.

"Le Deux?" she asked.

"Let's go to my office, so you seem tired."

"Yes, thank you." she said, not realizing that every step she took in this fantasy was one step closer to Kotomine's church.

They walked the hallways, her arm looped through his, having casual conversation. She felt like the war was over and Waver confirmed it. She had just been feeling quite sick since her return but was happy to be home. They ended up in his office and she sat on the couch as he began to brew a pot of hot water for tea. He seemed more relaxed than normal which made Hazel curious, invested in his emotions.

"How are you so calm?" she asked as he sat beside her.

"Because you're safe. Every time you have a mission, I'm not sure if it's the last."

"I always planned to come back and settle here, but didn't know the time." She said as he brushed the hair from her face. They smiled at each other and sipped their tea. She stared at it as thoughts circled in her head. This room was one of torture when she was apprenticed under Kayneth, but now was a safe space. One where they could talk for hours on end. She missed this time, and wanted to be back before it was too late.

Hazel chuckled, setting her tea on the table. "Kairi told me something on our last mission. He said that the reason he takes missions and fights is because he has nothing left. That I should get out while I still have time. I think that was my warning to go home."

"So no more missions?"

"Unless something major comes up." she looked at him, and his smile had disappeared under a mask of nerves. "What is it?"

"Hazel. Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Close your eyes." she did so, and in seconds she felt a gentle sensation against her lips. There was no way to escape this fantasy now, she was invested completely into it. But in that moment her fears began to boil. The truth about why this could not be. She broke away and stood up to get space.

"Did I do something wrong?" Lord El Melloi II asked.

"No, it was perfect. But the El Melloi's want something I can't provide."

"This isn't about them…"

"Waver, I can't have children." This was a secret she only shared with him, that he should have known no matter what they did his family didn't care about her, only the power she could give them.

"I've repaired my body too many times." she said beginning to pace the floor, as tears fell from her face, "If I try I wouldn't survive the pregnancy. And after the pain I suffered, I don't want another child to endure the same with a crest transfer.-

"- I realized my dream too late. That I wanted a family of my own that I can't have without repeating the past. We can't keep pretending this will work when all anyone wants from me is my crest." She collapsed on the floor, still in tears. If she could have a normal life without magic she would. Start over and have a chance to raise children in a home where the family name wasn't more important than their safety and happiness.

Hazel felt his arms go around her, wrapping her tightly, with his head pressed against her's.

"I want you." he said, holding her hands gently, "I don't care about the El Melloi's. Your life is what you want, and I'd like to be a part of that. Sometimes you have to be creative, but I know you'll find a way." Hazel opened her eyes. She turned as they gazed for a moment, feeling like this was what they needed to finally admit to each other. That they were past a point of simply friends, and invested in something more long term. He looked away, blushing.

"I shouldn't have kissed you. I didn't want to make you cry." he said, and Hazel turned his face so she could look in his eyes. Deep in her heart she knew she wanted to be with Waver, but they had their own careers and felt it was best to focus on their work. She never knew which mission could be the last and didn't want the commitment. But now, something about scent in the air and this moment seemed right. As though it was her true desires come to life.

"No. You always seem to know what I need." Hazel said, leaning in for another kiss as she continued to live out her dream.

* * *

It was quarter after two, the night was still calm. Shirou and Assassin waited at the steps of the church, prepared to welcome their new arrival.

"Here she is, the Lady Hazel." Caster announced. She was in a trance, her eyes glazed over as her head was imagining wonderful thoughts. Hazel's body simply followed Caster's suggestions, or anyone that gave directions.

"Still entranced, I see." Assassin noticed.

"Yes, your potion did wonders, my queen."

"You doubted me?" Assassin said, insulted. But a roar was heard from the woods. Shirou noticed how one command seal had been used. Soon, Berserker burst through the trees and tackled Caster. Assassin placed a shield between Shakespeare and Cú to prevent contact. Hazel fell to the ground, unaware of the scene in front of her.

Caster smiled nervously at the angered hero. "Hello, mind moving your foot, it's taring my robe." Cú dug his foot into the ground and growled, plunging his lance deeper into the shield over the playwright's heart.

"Welcome, Cú Chulainn." Shirou said, attempting to defuse the situation. Berserker turned his head, and shifted his focus to the priest with his weapon still pointed at Caster.

"She's not harmed, just resting." he said as Berserker looked to his master, "If you let him go, you can leave with your master." Berserker thought for a moment then stood from the ground. Caster disappeared to get away from the situation.

He looked at his master, but something was different. She was smiling like she had been before they entered the fortress. Met Lancer of Black and the others who tried to kill them. This time there were no cuts on her body, just the blood on her clothes.

"She's peaceful now." Shirou said, calm. "We do not harm our own, she'd be safe from danger here. You can fight knowing she will be protected, not betrayed." Berserker huffed and flung Hazel over his shoulder.

"I'll let you come back with an answer, Cú Chulainn. I'm a patient soul." Berserker looked at the priest. For a moment his offer made sense, but his master would not call him unless it was dangerous. He disappeared into the woods, as Shirou and Assassin watched.

There was a pause, disappointed that they had come close to capturing Berserker and his difficult master. But in time her willingness to fight would create a tension between the pair.

"Is something troubling you, Rider?" Assassin said, and Rider of Red appeared from the side of the church.

"I heard a roar, thought it might be a bear. I wanted to catch breakfast." he responded.

"It's no worry." Shirou assured. "But you should rest, tomorrow we make our move."

"Sure thing." Rider said as the two entered the church. He had heard every word, and was confused. If Berserker was on their side, why would he need convincing? And why would his master need to be tranced to do so? He stood outside the entrance before returning into the sanctuary, wondering what other secrets were being twisted to earn his trust. But, the truth couldn't hide forever, and only battle would reveal it.


	19. Chapter 17: A Heart for War

**Chapter 17: A Heart for War**

That morning Hazel woke inside the cave, thinking that she had fallen into a deep sleep after what Caster did. The only evidence she found was a broken veil outside of the cave, but the spell he used to charm her was strong. She handled many poisons before, but this was an old substance, similar to what her family encountered.

Berserker had already started a fire and was roasting a large animal, charred to a point where it was unrecognizable. She thanked him with a smile before taking a piece. They continued to eat as Hazel plotted, drawing names in the dirt with a stick and crossing off the servants that had been killed. Saber of Black and Berserker of Red were two powerhouses, and Lancer of Black had not taken the opportunity to rip her apart without the rest of the faction knowing. She thought Darnic was being tactful, or that he desired a showdown with her as much as she wanted to tear him to pieces.

There was a soft whine from the bushes as they finished their meals. Three wolf pups crept forward into the cave. They smelled the fur of the animal and laid beside it, whimpering. Hazel knew what had happened and saw the look of frustration on Berserker's face. It seemed his bad luck in the legends were quite true, but this was a good distraction from planning their next move.

That afternoon the wolf pups followed them as Hazel and Berserker helped them hunt. Their heads barely rising to Hazel's knees. She admired the young pups, even when their fangs snagged her fingers to help them feed. Berserker could see a light in her eyes, how free she looked with them.

Hazel dug out a hole in the den. Making a spherical shield, she filled it with water from the nearby stream so they would be well off, along with the deer carcass they had hunted together. Lastly, she set a barrier so that no other predators would find them.

"They have enough for a few days. We can check on them then." Hazel said, but Berserker had already fled to the stream.

He sat beside it, pondering the priest's words again. _We do not harm our own._ Was that possible? His master had no care for being injured. She almost welcomed the sensation. It seemed he was the only one who wanted to see her whole. She deserved to be at peace with herself, and the day proved her decision to leave was the beginning of a new path. Maybe they didn't have to join anyone, maybe it could just be them.

His master sat beside him quietly. Hazel knew that she had angered him but felt he had forgiven her.

"You seem distant, did I say something in my sleep?" He smiled slightly and shook his head, not wanting to tell her the truth. Hazel put her hand on his shoulder, it radiated warmth against her icy palm. "I'm sorry for being harsh last night," she said, crossing her legs. The dream was a beautiful fantasy. One where she had her own children and was still teaching. Where Waver even smiled more than scowled, constantly looking at the ring on his finger. She thought of Cú's legend, how he was married but still fought. Maybe it was imaginable to have both, she only needed to stop fearing the possibilities and try.

"You have every right to be upset," she continued, "It took me off guard when you spoke. I know I get into trouble more than I should, but that's how I am." She paused, knowing she'd need to earn his trust again.

"Tonight is about who you want to fight. I'll follow your lead, Cú." His faced her, the sun seemed to hit her skin at a graceful angle, reminding him again of the one he loved. Berserker knew he needed to prove himself tonight, hunt a prey just as challenging to quench his desire.

He ran his fingers through her hair and she allowed him to, knowing it was a sign that he could confide in her. As he did so, he took the other and splashed his master with a load of water. Hazel laughed and then took a sphere full, dousing him with it. They both smiled, enjoying the ease of nature versus dinners and meetings in dark rooms.

Berserker knew she wanted this war to be won by fighting the strongest, but that was his task for now. Even if he were killed, there was no reason that she could not continue the fight. This would be her final mission, and she would earn every splatter of blood she contributed. If that was her goal so be it. However the priest knew he wanted her safety, it was matter of if she would agree to those terms?

They stayed at the river until sunset, knowing the battles would not start until the moon was in sight. Berserker carried his master to a high point in the trees, overlooking the open landscape. She could see the Yggdmillennia fortress in the distance behind her, but another structure appeared more pressing in front of them.

Shards of bone began to fall from a giant fortress in the sky. A grand structure hovering above the clouds and moving at tremendous speed for its size. It had to be the Red Faction's offense. They were ready to fight.

 _Hazel._ Said the voice in her head, she knew the tone anywhere.

 _Darnic, what do you want?_ She responded in her mind, not to agitate Berserker.

 _Lancer wants Berserker to attack the golems and…_

"No," she said aloud, Berserker knew from the angst in her voice who she spoke with. "Berserker will fight servants, not some low grade clay soldiers."

 _You remember the agreement Hazel?_ She knew she was still part of the Black Faction in theory; however, Lancer had an entire day to murder her in secret, but she bore no wounds. Either she wasn't a priority, or there was someone else who thirsted for her blood more.

"Yes, but you're the one who wants me dead, so we will settle this tonight, once Berserker has had his fill."

Darnic chuckled, knowing he had an advantage. _You always had your grandfather's passion for war. Tonight it shall be._ She could no longer hear his voice which was a relief, though she didn't know how he had forged a connection. But now she had to follow through. Being at full power she felt invincible, the best way to start a night of battle. However, her desire was to have Berserker fulfill his wish. She turned to him, noticing his face had become grimmer as he showed his fangs and snarled. A powerful presence was moving fast on the hillside. This servant was strong, a challenge. He wanted to test them without restraint.

He grabbed and cradled Hazel in his arms, speeding through the trees to reach his prey. Hazel closed her eyes and said nothing, not wanting to break his focus. Within a few minutes or less he stopped abruptly. She opened her eyes to see they were on a road resting on the outside of a cliff as a beat up car halted in front of them.

The driver stepped out first, wearing just enough to cover what was necessary. The next passenger followed, his arm bound to his chest by a sling. Hazel chuckled.

"Kairi?" she asked, and his servant glared.

"What are you doing in the middle of the road? Standing on the side you make more money."

Hazel smirked, Kairi wanted to get under her skin. "I can break your other arm. Old men like you need to keep their body balanced."

"So this is the fox woman, master?" Kairi's servant said, spitting at the ground.

"Saber, she's joking," Kairi tried calming her, but his servant already summoned their sword, almost the size of her entire body.

"She hurt you, I kill her. That's how this works." Saber pointed her sword at the pair. "This your servant? I'm dying to slay some tonight." Hazel smiled, it was a perfect coincidence, and pay back for what Kairi had done.

Hazel crossed her arms, standing tall as she did the night they encountered Achilles. "How fortunate, he wants to fight too. You up to the task, little girl?"

Their armor assembled instantly, Hazel had sparked a ruthless fury.

"Don't insult me fox bitch!" Saber yelled but did not get close. Berserker stepped in front of his master and flung the knight towards an open field. They clashed against each other as Kairi and Hazel watched leaning against the broken car.

Saber was broad with her sword strokes but Berserker was swift, blocking with ease. Both had impeccable armor which meant more force was required. Being her mana was full, Hazel felt little pull from her servant. It was relaxing compared to the other battles she was in thus far.

Kairi pulled out a cigarette from his leather coat.

"Want one?"

"No, thanks." she said, slipping it into her pocket. Kairi offered her a change of clothes from the blood drenched white jacket and she refused, insisting the look made her intimidating to others.

As the knight and the lancer fought, brilliant shades of red lit the battlefield. Hazel's servant was enjoying himself, knowing he could strike down his opponent without interruption. Kairi confessed the identity of his servant to be Mordred. Hazel found it fitting as did he with her angry Irish man.

Soon the moon became covered with an unusual sight. The giant fortress from earlier came into view, floating above the faint tapestry of clouds. Hazel was curious who this figure would be, which mage could summon a servant capable of this? She stared at the marvel, remembering a name from when Waver spoke with her last.

"Say Kairi," Hazel asked. "What are your impressions of Kotomine?"

He looked to the ground too, blowing out smoke into the clean air. "He wanted us to join his force but I refused. And Mordred didn't care for his servant."

"Any reason?"

"Said she reminded them of their mother." Hazel put her hands against the crushed metal hood, gripping it lightly. A terrible feeling took over, that this priest was more than an executioner. But if this was a man who could build fortresses without the Mages Association knowing, she was curious what other power he hid.

"I think I'll pay him a visit when we're done here." Hazel was relaxed, knowing either way this brawl ended, at least her servant would fulfill his wish.

The fight kept persisting, but without avail. She could see the wrath in both of their eyes. It seemed they were waiting for the other to draw their phantasms, but were too stubborn and continued to clash.

"Who's pinky?" Kairi asked, pointing his finger out with the cigarette in hand.

Hazel saw the familiar face falling from the sky. It was Astolfo. Any second Saber or Berserker could draw on their noble phantasm, she only wanted him away from the action so that her servant could finish the battle.

"Dammit." Hazel said as she jumped over the guard rail and slid down the cliff on a shield.

"Hazel, this isn't your fight," Kairi yelled.

"He'll die, I'll take him to safety." Hazel said. Astolfo was not deserving of dying in the crossfire, and he did not need to join the fight either.

Hazel ran around the battle. But her servant's eyes followed her as Saber landed some good hits. He was flung into a tree and caught a look from his master.

 _Continue your fight Berserker, I'll stay away._ Their eyes met. Though he felt uneasy, knowing she made this promise before and failed to keep it, the knight needed to die.

Hazel approached Astolfo, his body covered in scrapes and bruises, twitching his fingers.

"H-Hazel?" he asked as she sat him up. Rider of Black saw his ally fighting, reaching for his lance with shaking limbs. "Berserker, I need to help…"

"He's fine, let's get you to safety."

As she carried him, there was short silence. The sound of opposing weapons had seized.

Hazel felt a strong presence behind her and threw Astolfo aside. She turned and placed a shield in front of her but was paralyzed. Saber had attempted to strike her while she was distracted, but someone had stepped in front of her, a sword of his own at his side, unable to reach. He blocked the fatal blow, the blade slashing across his heart.

"Sig, no!" Rider screamed. The homunculus had a name. Hazel caught him as she kneeled on the ground. This idiot had just saved her. His hand began brushing against her cheek, trying to remember the mage.

"I-I've seen you before," he said, his voice quiet. "In the glass."

"Yes." It was all she could say as his eyes closed, and his arm fell to the ground.

"What is this?!" Saber demanded, "I came to battle, not to slay weaklings. You insult me, this is no place for you fox, so die." Rider came behind and swung his spear. Saber blocked and focused her attention towards him.

"How could you say something so horrible?! Striking a master instead of a servant, why be cruel?" Astolfo cried out, pushing the enemy away from Hazel. Unsteady from his fall he did his best to remain standing but his limbs failed to follow him as he was knocked over.

"I'll say and do as I please." Saber remarked, looking to the master from a distance.

Berserker came to the side of his master, the dying homunculus in her arms. She had a choice, but it would mean jeopardizing this battle for her servant. The boy had saved her life, even not knowing what he was doing chose to sacrifice himself.

"I'm sick of games." Saber said, her sword glowing red as she took her stance. "I want to see your phantasm, Berserker of Black. _If_ you survive mine."

The ground shook as red lightning radiated from the knight. She put her sword in the air and called its true name.

"Crimson Blood Arthur!" The call roared as the blast came for Berserker and his master. This was where he could use his true strength.

The Gáe Bolg began to morph into his skin, creating a hard shell that doubled the size of his appearance. Though the attack struck, it did little to phase the warrior. When the blast cleared, all she saw was her servant covered in deadly spikes, his face hidden underneath the beastly shell. But Hazel felt her mana begin to wane as he charged the knight, stunned that her attack did little damage.

The homunculus laid motionless in her arms. Astolfo was crying loudly, upset the boy had endangered himself, shaking his body. It was in Hazel's hands to save him. _Once is all he gets,_ she thought, _he better make it count._

"Rider calm down, I need to focus," she snapped like he was her student and he fell silent.

"What are you going to do?"

"Something painful." Hazel put her hand on his wound, right over the heart. She knew this spell only worked at full strength, but the boy had a faint breath. Her hands pressed tightly against his chest. She could sense her blood still flowing through his veins. She breathed knowing the next breathes were going to be a war in itself.

" _Cefn Sig."_ The wound transferred to her chest as it sealed on his. There was a flash of blue light and Hazel was flung back, doing her best to heal the wound in her heart as quickly as possible. Berserker could not sense his master's distress, focused on battle and tearing apart his opponent.

As she laid on the ground, Astolfo began to shout again. Everything had become fogged over, the heart was healed but closing the chest was taking more energy with the amount of blood loss. Her gargled breathes were over shadowed by the action. Berserker was still fighting, he almost had his opponent beat. She had to hold out a little while longer, for his sake.

Hazel looked to the moon and a figure in silver armor stood over her. She could barely tell until he sat beside her. He cut into his skin with the sharp finger point of his gauntlet, lifting her head she felt a few drops of blood on her tongue.

"Survive this, Hazel." The words faded as she shut her eyes. The blood began to strengthen her body, recovering as she passed out.

* * *

"Hazel, wake up!" A voice called. She darted up looking for the servant who saved her. But it was only she and Rider of Black.

"Astolfo?" she asked standing, he steadied her. "Where is Siegfried? Cú?"

"Saber retreated, she was beat up pretty bad. Siegfried followed her." Hazel could see the car was gone, but again Berserker was left without a full fight. She should have guessed Kairi would retreat, but this still pissed her off.

Hazel shouted to the sky, not realizing she had an audience. "I'll kill that necromancer! Is it too much to ask servants to finish their battles? Those cigarettes better bite him in the ass, wannabe biker mage!"

Hazel breathed for a second, looking down her shirt was something unfamiliar. A small sliver of light blue, the size of a coin. It was barely noticeable under her clothes, but she felt just as strong as she had when this evening began, like being reset.

Astolfo tugged her jacket. "Berserker went towards the flying fortress. But why did he abandon you when you were hurt?"

She shook her head. Hazel knew why he ran, and she didn't blame him. She said she would follow his lead, unless the rage had consumed him at this point.

"I'm not his priority now, Rider. He wants to fight, his heart will lead him where the war is."

Hazel wanted answers, and with the two fortresses colliding there was bound to be conflict. She needed to find her servant before he began ripping everyone to pieces, and so she could enjoy the action too. In seconds, she took off towards the unknown structure, nothing would be certain from this point on. Astolfo watched as she ran from view, pouting.

"Maybe I wanted to raid the fortress too, but no one asks what Astolfo thinks. Guess I'll find Saber of Black, figure out what he did with Sig."


	20. Chapter 18: The Hanging Gardens Part I

**Chapter 18: The Hanging Gardens Part I**

The pull from the fortress was like a powerful current, ripping the Holy Grail from its chamber in the ground. Hazel boarded one of the rocks and was carried up into the lower part of the castle. She knew Berserker would be there, and with luck be in battle.

Hazel scoped each area, unsure what threats would be hidden in this place. As she walked she could hear footsteps behind her. Whether enemy or ally, her instincts told her to guard herself. She made a shield and flung around, prepared to cut the stranger's throat. He stopped her hand and covered her mouth, it was a friend.

"Chiron?" she whispered as he let go. "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask the same..." his question was interrupted by a loud rattle above them as the stone ceiling fell. Chiron caught her once more, pushing her out of the way of the stone as they fell on top of him.

Hazel used a shield to protect him. They rolled off the dome until he stood with his body exposed. He leapt from the rock pile with grace, as Hazel let her shield dissolve.

"Thank you, Hazel." he acknowledged. There was a loud roar that echoed through the hallways, though far away, the sound carried clearly. They shared a look, both knowing who was responsible.

The two fled to the upper levels, in hopes to find the source of the commotion. Rocks continued to fall as they dodged gracefully, not looking back at the exit.

They approached the main level and saw a large blast of flame. The heat could be noticed even down the hall. There was talk but it was difficult to hear over the clashing of weapons.

"Chiron, can you tell what is going on?" Hazel asked and he nodded. Closing his eyes, he began sensing the vibrations.

"Three servants. Lancer of Black is down, but breathing. And Berserker is battling a servant of Red. Lancer, I believe."

"A king comes, but has no army. That is unfortunate for you." Lancer of Red spoke.

Hazel peaked at the situation and everything was true. It was tempting, to leave Lancer of Black there to die. Let Darnic fall when he was unable to help. But she was not alone, and Chiron would question her harsh actions.

"Chiron, can you retrieve Lancer of Black?" she asked.

Chiron furrowed his brow, "Why not call your servant back? We can attack together."

"Best not to break his focus. He's already had a bad night." Hazel said, offering her hand. "I'll cover you."

"As you wish."

In a flash he had run into battle to retrieve his comrade. Hazel had become a reliable ally, covering his blind spots as the flames tried to encase him. He caught a glimpse of Berserker, his eyes locked on his opponent.

Hazel watched from a safe distance, a large shield deterring the stray flames. As Archer came back to her, dragging what appeared to be a corpse, she fixed her eyes on Berserker's competition. Though he was concentrated on his battle, he did not forget about the entourage that had appeared. The trio moved back slowly, Hazel maintaining her shield to deflect the fire.

A presence behind her jolted her stance, a golden lance pressed against her neck. The pressure was strong but controlled, as though its master required more than bloodshed in battle. Archer remained holding the wounded Lancer of Black as he called out.

"Master Hazel."

"Take him." Karna said, "He will not survive the night."

Chiron stood and readied his bow, pointing it towards his head.

"Then you shall die as well."

"I'll catch up." Hazel remarked, and Chiron pulled back.

"Hazel…"

"Get him where he can recover. I'll be fine." Hazel was calm, Chiron could tell she was not afraid, he carried the body away into the halls, leaving her hostage.

There was a pause in battle. Berserker was stalking the two as she remained still, her hands crossed behind her back. Berserker did not want to harm his master, but as of now he was close to finishing his fight. Knowing both heroes made Hazel confident that she was not in immediate danger.

"I know you won't behead me, you're an honorable hero." she said.

"Your servant interrupted my battle, did you give him the order?"

"I am his master," she responded, her eyes tracking Berserker who had disappeared into the arched ceiling. "But, he only wants to fight."

"My master has a request, join the Red Faction now or die. He has foreseen a terrible fate for you…"

"Is he God?" she asked, figuring it had to be the priest. "My fate is what I make it, and I say no." Hazel said, cold.

"Then you will live out your code." In that moment she moved aside, grazing her neck on the blade. A dark force dropped from the ceiling. Berserker kicked the warrior into the wall. Hazel looked at him, still thirsting for his enemy's blood. She nodded.

"My apologies, Karna. Give him hell, Cú." Hazel said, as she ran from the scene.

Though she wanted to stay her heart knew Berserker needed to fight alone. But she knew that Darnic would be close to follow with his servant near to death. The blood led her to Chiron. They had gotten quite far, but close to the exit he sat down.

"Can you heal him?" Archer asked her. Hazel was anxious to finish it, say there was nothing that could be done. But, the look in Chiron's eyes was sincere. She remembered how her friends had trusted her to carry them. Yet again she could not turn away.

"We should get closer to the ground. That's where he has an advantage." Hazel picked up the body, knowing his suffering would lead his master to this labyrinth.

"Go back," she said. "I'm sure more will come to take down Berserker."

"Return to the ground." Chiron commanded. Hazel nodded in agreement, hiding her lie.

Archer vanished, leaving Hazel to carry the deadweight. She took her time, walking the path she could remember. The exit seemed closer than it actually was, but the illusion gave her time to reflect.

This was familiar, dragging someone from battle, but a first time with an enemy. It shouldn't have mattered, except this was a man who was kin with death.

"Why…save me?" his voice rattled as he spoke. "You could have let me die."

"I thought about it." she replied honestly. Blood spewed from his mouth as it trailed behind them. Hazel slowed her pace, knowing they were almost to an exit with still no sign of Darnic.

"I'm with the Black Faction until the Red falls. That was the deal."

"You speak true for a liar." Hazel chuckled at his statement and stopped.

"Sit." she commanded, and for once the ruler followed an order from someone beneath him. Her smile remained as she chuckled at the pathetic site.

"Why laugh? Do you enjoy my suffering?"

"A master of torture asking me that, should I be honored?" she said, kneeling in front of him. His tone was familiar to her. She put her hand on his most prominent wound, to slow the pace.

"You remind me of someone. My late professor. He hated to be seen as weak amongst his peers, constantly stressed perfection."

"Is that all you see?"

"No," she said. "I see you as a man who wanted to look out on his land and know it belonged to him alone. But people desired it and you needed to make a statement. Fear is a powerful weapon, once you control that no one can break you."

There was a pause. Lancer was surprised she understood his desire. But his side still bleed as she put her hand on it for pressure. Though he still did not fully trust her, he could respect her resistance to strike revenge on him, and trade it for kindness.

"I want to rewrite my name." he said, coughing. "These stories of vampires and blood are not the truth."

It was a secret surely Darnic knew, but Hazel understood his confession.

"Fair enough," she said, leaning in to pick him up. "Just a little further, the exit is…"

She stopped, as she now sensed a presence behind her once more. Swinging her legs to take the attacker off balance, she dodged the blow of their sword and stepped away. It was now time.

"Darnic?" Lancer said, surprised.

His master smiled without his teeth, as though to contain his excitement. Hazel curled her fingers, anxiously stalling time.

"Appears you have been out mastered, Lancer." Darnic said, "I came to return the Grail to my possession."

Hazel fired three volleys at the ceiling, Darnic deflected the stones from falling on him. Her patience had withered, she wanted his head.

"So you wish to challenge me here?" he asked, charging his blade.

"War is always unpredictable." she said, letting the mana flow through her body as a yellow glow silhouetted her, the gold in her eyes became bright.

"Why waste time talking to stubborn men?" Hazel prepared her shields, and charged her enemy, his sword prepped for defense.

Hazel clashed her shields against his sword. Both of them had strong defenses and kept pushing each other back, cancelling out. The fact no damage was done made Hazel more furious, trying to think of any way to strike. Mid thought, Darnic kicked her side and flung her into the wall.

Darnic sent a dark blast which Hazel dodged but Darnic was quick to appear in front of her, trying to cut her arm off. Hazel barely found and opening and grabbed his head to bang it into her knee. She didn't care, the blood on his face looked fitting.

"I see why they call you wild." he said as his bruise healed.

Hazel needed to resort to something else. The cuts on her arms transformed into small strings of blood which began to strike him like whips as she threw her punches. A long and short range offensive to confess him. She was taking what mana she could from him while kicking and punching repeatedly. He had seemed to be beaten when she decided it was time. Hazel sprung into the air to deliver a final blow, but Darnic had already made a dark shield from the corrupted energy he possessed. Though she tried to drive her kick through the shield, grinding her teeth to deter her from the pain, she eventually was flung away.

She barely stood, feeling like her leg had been bitten off from the shield. A black-purple mark remained on her leg. Darnic slammed the base of his sword against her face a propped her against the wall, the sword pressing into her wound from Karna.

"The grail was always mine." Darnic said. "I will have it back."

"You have a castle, a clan, and you mourn a cup." Hazel said, feeling the blood flow down her arms. Her whips had contracted back to her skin. She made thick vines from the blood and latched onto the arm which he held the sword, while forming a small shield inside her skin to prevent decapitation.

"And you mourn souls that could never compare to you. What was her name, the Irish runt?"

Hazel screamed, cutting off his arm with the sword with her own blood. He still had his command seals on the other and a black shadow filled the void where his arm used to be. Hazel ran to him once more and punched his face before finally stabbing his chest with her spade shaped shield. Her hand felt his blood pour out, but he had managed to stab her side. Darnic had made it so neither could move in this black void. They were locked in place, until the other bleed out.

"After everything I've faced. Being humiliated, you know the Grail's power could reverse it." he said, spitting blood from his mouth.

Hazel chuckled. "I see why my grandmother dumped you."

She thought her comment was clever, unveiling a truth that he thought her grandfather would never expose. But the news brought a demented smile to the old man's face as his laugh ripped through the hall. Hazel was confused as he grabbed her face with his shadow hand.

"Then you don't know the full truth." Darnic said, pulling her ear closer to his lips. "Your grandmother and I were acquainted. But when she married into the Matterhorn clan, she was already with child. A boy. Your father."

Hazel tried to pull away but his shadow kept her close.

"Congratulations Hazel, you are the blood heir to Yggdmillennia, and I your elder."

Enraged, she gathered enough mana to free her open hand and slash his throat with a sharp shield. But as his neck bleed, more black shadows came out. He could barely speak, using all his power to hold her close to his blade. She refroze, the blade now driven deeper into her flesh.

"Why should I trust a liar?" she said, fuming. "Even if it's true, you were never there for me. You hid. And this was your plan? To wait for this moment to tell me? You really are a bastard."

"Foolish…woman." he said, though his words broke, his grip on her body remained strong. "I only wanted your circuits. That shield. Now with our combined power, I'll have my Grail."

Hazel could feel her body slowly fade, her mark on her leg began to grow as his body started to become engulfed. He was going to absorb her to make one being. She could not pull away, her body was numb, but then the process stopped. Hazel broke away, the sword still in her side. Lancer of Black had stabbed Darnic from behind, holding him back.

Lancer looked at her, what he knew would be his last time as a sane man.

"Hazel, warn them." he commanded and she escaped, only hearing the echoes of Darnic words as she sped to find her servant.

"Lancer, by my command seal I demand you unleash your Noble Phantasm. …" was the last she heard as she began pulling the sword from her side, knowing her battle with Darnic wasn't over.


End file.
